The new board of the Nigeria National League (NNL) has hit the ground running and vowed to run the league professionally in line with the mandate given it by the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
The league chairman, Mr. George Aluo, made the commitment during the board’s inaugural press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.
The veteran sports journalist thanked NFF President Ibrahim Gusau for appointing him and other capable men of proven integrity to drive his vision of taking Nigeria’s football to a new height.
Aluo insisted that the new NNL board under his leadership is committed to make Nigeria’s second tier football league attractive to the corporate world, would-be partners, fans and other stakeholders as the most important league in the country.
He extolled the qualities of individuals appointed to serve on the NNL board, saying they are committed to turnaround the fortune of Nigeria National League and not to betray the trust placed on them.
While appealing to the Nigerian sporting media to project the league positively, Aluo promised to improve the levels of officiating in the league, insisting that it will not be business as usual.
“As a team, and individuals with integrity and uncommon passion for better and efficient management of our football, and by extension our leagues; we promise to work assiduously so as not to betray the trust the NFF president, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, have invested in us. I’m happy to have a team of Nigerians that are ready to serve and ready to bring their wealth of experience to bear on the board.
“We have the mandate to run the NNL professionally…make it business oriented and not business as usual. And with the additional charge given to us to take care of referees indemnity, we will take cue from Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye-led IMC of the Nigeria Professional football League (NPFL) to ensure improved officiating in NNL,” Aluo said.
The vice chairman of the league, Hon.Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, added that the new NNL board is ready to stem out bad officiating in the league and urged the clubs to shun the erroneous impression that they must win at home.
