Owumi and Adepoju have brought NPFL into disrepute

Early this week, the Sporting Director of Shooting Stars, also known as 3SC of Ibadan, Tobi Adepoju Samuel, stirred the hornet’s nest when he took to his X account to accuse the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye and the league body of approving some substandard playing pitches, which he said had injured […]

Early this week, the Sporting Director of Shooting Stars, also known as 3SC of Ibadan, Tobi Adepoju Samuel, stirred the hornet’s nest when he took to his X account to accuse the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye and the league body of approving some substandard playing pitches, which he said had injured at least four 3SC players.

He wrote: “Dear NPFL chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, I want to write an open letter, but I am sure you will start calling again. So, I won’t write sir.

However, I just want to inform you sir, the pitches you approved for NPFL matches have got four of my players injured, one in Bauchi, which led to surgery worth over N3 million. There were three casualties yesterday (Sunday) in Ilorin, and we don’t know how much it would cost us to take care of them yet. God bless the NPFL sir. I no talk anything oh!”

The club official’s criticism of the NPFL chairman and his men didn’t come to many of us as a surprise because he is not only known for his courage to speak his mind; he is not new to controversies.

Even before becoming a highly-placed club administrator – first at Ikorodu City, and now, 3SC – Tobi, as he is commonly called – had heated altercations with clubs and football stakeholders in the course of his work. He is a versatile and well-travelled sports journalist.

In his controversial post, he concluded by stating, “I no talk anything o!” But surely, he didn’t only speak loudly, he consciously criticised the NPFL leadership, even as he knows that the Framework and Regulations of the league forbid such an act. In fact, before he made the tweet public, Tobi stated clearly that he knew the NPFL chairman would be upset by his comments. And indeed, when he delivered his message, it offended those who are directly affected.

Consequently, the Chief Operating Officer of the League, Mr David Owumi, in a swift reaction, issued a “confrontational” statement describing the criticism as misguided and lacking understanding of the league’s regulatory framework.

As if educating Adepoju, Owumi went on to explain how the Club Licensing Regime is under the full purview of the NFF. He stated: “At the beginning of every season, clubs apply to the NFF for clearance and present all the required documents, including infrastructural criteria covering stadium facilities and playing surfaces. The NFF conducts thorough scrutiny and issues licences only when all standards are met. Once the licence is issued, the NPFL enforces compliance.”

From the above, Owumi attempted to exonerate the league body from any blame over the recurring issue of poor pitches. However, his explanation was neither here nor there because anyone assigned the responsibility of enforcing compliance should also take the blame when issues arise due to failure in compliance. Owunmi insisted that the approval for pitches is given by the NFF, but he can’t deny the fact that the NPFL plays key roles when it comes to inspecting and approving match venues.

Anyway, even as he wasn’t convincing in his defence of the NPFL, Owumi didn’t stop there. He went on to chide Adepoju while asking him to not only retract his offensive statement but correct his “misleading claims” that have brought the name of the league into disrepute.

One thing about the leadership of the NPFL is that it is quick to accuse others of indulging in acts that are capable of dragging the name of the league into the mud. However, the same officials hardly perform better than those they often accuse because they equally violate the rules and regulations of the league. The NPFL’s failure to ensure good officiating and compliance to safety regulations are good examples.

In the present case, both the NPFL and 3SC officials have substantially hurt the image of the league. Although he has the right to complain, Adepoju didn’t follow the laid down procedures or the approved channel of communication between the NPFL and clubs.

As an experienced sports journalist and high-ranking club administrator, Tobi should be the one to teach others how to engage in effective communication. Having been around for decades, he surely knows what someone who is genuinely aggrieved should do to get the desired solutions or answers. Of course, he is not a novice when it comes to official communication between the NPFL and its clubs. Did he go public because he has an axe to grind with the NPFL leadership?

Furthermore, it is said that two wrongs do not make a right, but Owumi, acting on behalf of the NPFL, threw caution to the wind and responded to Tobi in a manner that is not befitting of the club official’s position in the league.

No matter his “offence”, he remains an important part of the league and should be accorded some respect. Unfortunately, the tone of the statement by Owumi suggested otherwise as he almost referred to Tobi as a small boy. Decorum almost eluded Owunmi.

 Of course, Owumi is a veteran of Nigerian football. He made a name as a player, and now one of the most influential football administrators. However, Tobi too has come of age in his own way and should be accorded some respect.

Yes, some may feel he still exhibits the exuberance of a teenager or new convert to a religion, but going by his rating as a major stakeholder in Nigerian football, he should be recognised and respected. Moreover, no one can doubt his passion and commitment to the Nigerian league.

So, instead of forcing him to retract his comment and apologise to the NPFL, both Elegbeleye and Owumi should look into the serious issue that has been raised by the club official. It is an open secret that one of the biggest challenges in Nigerian football is poor standard of playing pitches.

Most of the pitches are not only dangerous and harmful to players, they are also not television friendly. Nigeria is presently suffering from the dearth of CAF and FIFA approved pitches. It is so bad that in the whole country, only one stadium – Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo – is good enough to host FIFA matches. The newly renovated MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta can host CAF organised matches, but it is doubtful if it is up to the standard set by FIFA.

Therefore, if a club official is bold enough to challenge the system over the poor standard of pitches, it should be seen as a wakeup call. Once we view it as an affront on the authorities who prefer to be pampered at all times, we would miss the point. So, even as Tobi didn’t follow the right route to the NPFL, instead of vilifying him, his “embarrassing” message should be accepted and given its due consideration.

I, therefore, call on both the NPFL and Mr Adepoju to cease further public engagements on this matter. They have brought enough shame to the league already. Tempers that flared up must calm down immediately for meaningful engagements for the good of the league. This is my honest verdict on the faceoff between the NPFL and the man popularly called Tobi.