For many who have been waiting on the decision of the League Management Company on Giwa FC’s failure to turn up for matches, your waiting ends now as the league body has given a verdict to expel the club.
The club failed to honour three league matches, which is an aberration as stipulated in the law book of the League Management Company. Simply put, the Jos club are in breach Rule B13.28 of the NPFL framework.
The rule states: “If a club fails to honour three matches cumulatively within the league season without an acceptable reason to the LMC such a club shall be expelled from the league and its matches played and unplayable shall be cancelled.”
Giwa FC has been expelled from 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football league season
— League Management NG (@LMCNPFL) May 20, 2016
Meanwhile all the matches involving Giwa, are suspended until the final determination of the issue as the troubled club have a 48-hour ultimatum to appeal or accept the decision of being expelled. However, failure at appeal could also attract weightier consequences in the second tier, the LMC mentioned.
How did we get here? Giwa FC was banished to Ilorin by the LMC following crowd troubles on match day 12 in Jos, but the club has failed to respect the rules thereby neglecting three fixtures, against Wikki (MD14), Akwa Utd (MD16) and Enyimba (MD18). It is also worthy of note that the chairman of the club, Mr Chris Giwa has been involved in some internal-politics at the top echelon of the nation’s football house (NFF).
There is no immunity for any club, and that has informed the decision of the league body to have the club relegated automatically. Not in this age should a club fail to appear for ‘premier league’ games without cogent reasons, NO! This is not acceptable. Since the LMC took over the Nigeria Professional League, the framework has changed and the coast seem clear. It is unhealthy to have such distractions especially at a time when other advanced league bodies are interested in working with Nigeria.
As stated earlier, it is expected that the club management appeals this decision in the interest of the club, the players, staff, and the league or say Nigeria. Although the LMC has taken measures to see that the players are covered, but how much can the LMC do? Would the LMC help secure clubs for players who may want to leave Giwa FC as we approach mid-season when the window opens for clubs to sign-on new players?
