Abridged league controversy: Babaginda calls for calm, hails Gusau, IMC

President of the National Association of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, PFAN, Tijani Babaginda has hailed the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau and the leadership of the Interim Management Committee of the Nigeria Premier League in their efforts to reposition the Nigeria elite league.

Babaginda was speaking against the backdrop of the recent disagreement between the club owners and the league managers over the proposed abridged league format. He noted that both IMC and NFF has the best interest of the league at heart and therefore call on the club owners to see reasons with them.

The former Nigeria International stressed that the efforts of the current league managers to reposition the league, especially as they have secured sponsors for the league in such a short time should be appreciated by the club owners, arguing further that they stand more to benefit from the whole process in the long run.

He also thumbs up IMC plans to address the Governor’s forum noting that such effort will go a long way in drawing their attention to their responsibilities towards their clubs.

“I do not believe that it is IMC plans to report the Chairmen to their governors. I think the meeting is all about rubbing minds with them on how best they can help the clubs more. I see this as a good development for the clubs in general,” Tijani said.

TJ as he is fondly called by his many admirers however pleaded with IMC to help the clubs in cushioning the effect of participating in the abridged league, revealing that it will be stressful for some of the clubs traveling very long distances to honour matches considering the number of matches they are going to play within a short period.

“These clubs are going to be traveling very long distances to honour their matches. imagine a team traveling from Bornu to the South to honour their match, vice visa. If they are going by land, imagine the stress. I will plead with IMC to see how they can help them source for partnerships with some of the airlines to help take them through those long-distance journeys,”

On the role of the players Union in the league, the PFAN president revealed that they would soon be setting up a committee to liaise with the league organisers with a view to looking into how players’ current and outstanding salaries can be paid.

“We are going to take the issue of players’ salaries very important. The players are the real stakeholders in this league business and we would not appreciate that they are been treated badly. Several of our players are still been owed several months and years of their salaries by the clubs. It is our duty to help them source these monies. It is not a sin for a player to accept to play in the Nigeria League, so such players must be appreciated and duly paid their salary as at when due,” TJ said.