Nduka Irabor carrying a dead horse to revival

Can the IMC get an applause like this after its life?

 Like the Christian farmer who has only one horse. When the horse was alive, he didn’t value her. She was sick and could not deliver what she is used to delivering. Her place became heavily felt. Then, the farmer started running to save the sick horse. His neighbours and sibling who are jealous of his wealth courtesy of the horse were bringing poison rather than medicine.

The farmer heard a preacher was next door who heals. He carried the very sick horse that had for years been carrying him. mid way, the horse is dead. Should he bury it or still get to the preacher who can do a miracle?

The pharmacist: With the desperacy, he consulted and got a pharmacist. The pharmacist having been tipped by the neighbours and sibblings of the farmer had a drug that can keep the horse alive but told the farmer, “this is a hopeless situation.” 

I have been inundated with too much expectation to analyse the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Nigerian Premier League (NPL) which the illegal Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) took upon itself to announce.

First of all, leaving out their illegal status. It is not the job of the NFF to announce the IMC. There was in 2005 when the Sports Minister then, the colourless and odourless Colonel Musa Mohammed went on to set up a six-man committee of the NFL IMC. The NFA under Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima in order to allow for peace and good mutual relationship was going to permit it. There were protestations and FIFA in its letter to the NFA was unequivocally clear where the power to do such lies. It is with the Congress of the NPL, the club owners.

Let’s leave law. What is practical and the reality? Our almost denominator is to have a better league. I can swear on oath that with the heavy deadwoods recycled in the committee, one way only exists. This is my summation. That committee is like a four-man committee.

Nduka “The Duke” Irabor: He has accomplished so much in the newsroom for which some of us still remain his admirers and followers. He did so well in the House of Representatives. As an Editor, he knows that ‘HE IS THE ONLY DICTATOR IN THE NEWSROOM.

My analysis of this task is from that myopic job he has left for a long time. If this committee fails, like an Editor, he is to be hanged. If the task works well, everyone shares the credit.

Therefore, it is either he operates with the rules of an Editor in this task or he plays the democrat and fail and carries the burden on his name and hard earned reputation. QED.

Kanu “The King” Nwankwo: His experience as one who played here in the League and who has also plied his silky skills abroad can be useful. Taking him into the intellectual will ostracise him. He can also be used to fix a lot of foreign contacts that may be required to help the committee.

Mike Enahoro

Mike Enahoro: He played in the League with Hawks of Makurdi. He is one of the most certificated football coaches in this country. He has been a solutions provider in sports and job creation. He is an asset to that committee.

Salihu Abubakar: Yes, he was former Executive Secretary of the NPL. His administrative values having been on the saddle before can be of minimal use. Beyond that, I think he is just being recycled. Simple.

Shehu Dikko: Apart from his moral burden he is one person who is passionate about the game. The moral issue remains his greatest minus. This will be an albatross on the entirety of that committee.   

Modele Sarafa-Yusuf: As a reporter with NTA, her passion for the game is outstanding. Brilliant, humble and modest. Her experience in the board room while working for Globacom in the years of the controversies that trailed the philanthropic sponsorship of the League can be a great guiding asset.

The NPL troika: Here you have Sabo Babangida, the former House of Assembly Kaduna state member. Mike Idoko and the secretary, Tunji Babalola. It is the choice of the real owners of the property in question. This remains a fait accompli.

Dark horse: Ifeanyi Dike. He is a lawyer. He had been representing the NFF in some of their legal survival battles. This is therefore one opportunity to compensate him for keeping them alive in office till now. On his quality of sports background, he remains a blank tile in a scrabble game. Unknown mathematic.

Kunle Elegbede

Kunle Elebute: is a partner and Head of Financial Advisory Services of KPMG Professional Nigeria, with responsibility for Corporate Finance, Transaction and Privatization Services. He holds a BA (Econ) from the University of Manchester, UK (1982) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria ("ICAN"). He must have been drafted into this scheme due to his level of business relationship, which can transform the League into a real big time business venture. His background for sports may not be material from this angle if the thought of this reporter is anything right in the eyes of those who brought him.

Abubakar Nuhu Dan Buran:

Terms of reference: A careful review of the ToR of the IMC will reveal that unlike what Nigerians are made to believe that it is a short-term and short-lived palliative structure meant to correct the ills of the system, its life is actually more than a calendar year. Let’s do a review of the ToR one by one:

i) Organise the 2012/2013 League: This means they will exist for the whole of the season.

ii) Review all contractual obligations of the NPL, including TV and Sponsorship rights: To achieve (i) above, it is practicable to say the committee needs this term of reference. The issue is that, won’t the same committee be distracted from the tall order that (i) is given the quality of rot in the system and also, the lack of a commensurate administrative structure to achieve (i). The League requires a Chief Executive Officer who understands the economics, politics and sociology of football administration and marketing to complement their activities. Yet, their terms of reference in view of the life of the committee did not empower them to recruit a CEO nor even reconstruct the structure of the League’s administration; 

iii) Develop strategy and facilitate the reform of the League towards achieving profitability: This would have addressed the fears as laid out in (ii) above. This is where Kunle Elegbede probably comes in handy. Despite the moral burden on Shehu Dikko, he can be of good value. Modele Sarafa-Yusuf is an asset here. Mike Enahoro is another good value here.

iv) Review existing rules and guidelines for the election into NPL Board: This is where I sneezed and caught flu. The League’s mobile encyclopaedia, Pa. Arthur Kwame, who was a staff of the NPL was eased off with the politics of the contending forces. He was the secretary of the Nathaniel Idowu committee. If this goal must be achieved, that is one resource that must be sought for and tied down no matter the cost.

v) Develop new standards for players’ contracts and welfare: This is one responsibility that will unsettle the club system. Clubs with almost practical illiterates (in matters of football administration, not in the knowledge of writing and reading) use this venture to milk and make money. To reform this goal is calling for mild trouble. What about the complete weaning of the clubs from the ownership and funding of governments?

Conclusion: With the weaknesses in the terms of reference, the horse to be salvaged may not be too healthy to be returned to life if and when it can be salvaged from its many combo of illnesses.

One would have thought that a lifeline like “any other matter the committee would deem necessary” would have been a saving grace. With what they have, there are bottlenecks and stumps on the tarred roads they are supposed to drive on.

Culled from http://gongnews.net/nduka-irabor-carrying-a-dead-horse-to-revival/