Without govt funding, local league will die, says Paul Bassey

Chairman of Akwa United Football Club of Uyo, Elder Paul Bassey, has said the League Management Company, LMC, have to stand up to their responsibilities and run the league properly.

Bassey disclosed that the league governing body has failed to meet their financial responsibilities to the club in the past three years.

Bassey who said Nigeria professional football league club sides have been relying solely on funds from the government has now tasked the LMC to find corporate organizations to invest in the league.

“My problem is with the LMC, if you set people together to run a league for you, they must look for investors,” Bassey made this known while speaking through an Uyo based radio station.

“The problem we have is that for the past three years, clubs are sponsoring themselves to matches home and away, the LMC has not given a kobo to these clubs, that is why when people say the government has no business running the league, that government should hands-off, but if the government says they are not sponsoring the teams, football will die in Nigeria, if you want to face government out of the league, it has to be a gradual process.

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“For the past three years, LMC have not done anything, they will stay in Abuja and give instructions to teams. In January, we played six matches in one week, we are a government-owned club, we receive subventions at the end of the month which covers four matches in a month, yet LMC will tell you to go and play six matches, they will bring fixtures and call it a reschedule match, they don’t do anything.” He concluded.