Exclusive: NPFL Should Not Be Run Like Inter-house Sports - Davidson Owumi

Exclusive: NPFL Should Not Be Run Like Inter-house Sports - Davidson Owumi By Niyi Busari The Chief Executive Officer designate of the League Management Company (LMC), Davidson Owumi has said that all hands must be on the deck to bring a lasting solution to the problems facing the Nigerian leagues BSN sports.com.ng can report. He argued that rushing to commence the League means the League Managers are still using the same approach that yielded little results. He also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the LMC to without wasting of time facilitate his letter of appointment for resumption adding that this will enable him operate from office without hitches. Owumi in an exclusive interview with BSN Sports said, "My position as Davidson Owumi is that we should sheath our individual differences and look at the bigger picture which is the growth of Nigeria football. We cannot continue to do something the same way and expect a different result. We need to bring in different resolve as to how we can tackle the problems facing Nigerian league. It's not a fight of we against them or I against anybody. He added, "If the clubs cannot afford to get money from states and the League manager too cannot afford to pay the League arbiters, then the league is as good as dead. We should not pretend over this. We need to readdress some of this issues. Our league is not an inter-house sports. We should be able to put structures on ground and look at projections. "We must sit down in a town-hall meeting and fashion out what we want to achieve in the league. To me, it is not the commencement of the league that is the problem but what the League tends to represent. If we need to change the format of the league to have a positive projection. So be it. "For us to have a viable league we must take cognisance of the following; "How do we structure our league to align it with the football developing world? How do we tackle the issue of insecurity in the country for football clubs movements across North and South? We must find a solution to the logistics problems facing the clubs to make it convenient for the teams and the League." He concluded. Owumi on December 31, 2020 was approved as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the League Management Company (LMC) by the president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick. This was confirmed by the NFF Congress at Extra-Ordinary Congress in Edo State in August 2021. The confirmation to replace Nduka Irabor who resigned since 2020 is yet to see the light of the day. Meanwhile, the League Management Company (LMC) has confirmed that the 2021/22 Nigeria Professional Football League season will commence December 27, 2021.