The Interim Management Committee (IMC) has since its inception operated a media friendly approach to administration of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in line with the mandate given by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
In this direction, the Board, led by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, has held several scheduled media engagements in Abuja and Lagos while looking forward to interacting with media practitioners in other locations in the country in future. He and the Head of Operations, Davidson Owumi are on record to have granted unscheduled interviews personally, to inquiring media persons, while the Communications Unit has been prompt in disseminating crucial information on activities of the body and match related issues.
We consider the report in The PUNCH newspapers titled, “Stakeholders express concerns on violence at NPFL matches” as not fair to the league and not being a true reflection of situations at match venues.
At first read, the impression passed on to unsuspecting readers and fans would be that the match venues are not safe. This is far from an accurate reading of the situation that obtain at our matches
As a responsible organisation, we admit and know that incidents at match venues are an integral part of global football largely due to emotions that run high in the course of every fixture. However, there is no situation of pervading violence at NPFL matches to warrant the interviews directed at a handful of respondents. More so, their response was based on how the questions were framed.
For the avoidance of doubt, the three incidents that prompted responses of points forfeiture to the clubs involved were isolated cases of single fans physically assaulting match officials. In one case, it was an accredited club officer that was involved. The NPFL is yet to experience the magnitude of fans incidents that are recorded in the advanced leagues of Europe and we believe we would not reach that ‘brawling’ stage.
Painting a few isolated cases of match officials harassment as violence at match venues undermines the serious work the IMC has so far undertaken to stabilise the league, win corporate support and woo fans in their numbers to the stands.
While we will continue to deal with individual reported cases based on available evidence, we invite The PUNCH to also continue, as it has done through many news and features publications, to lend its extensive voice to the growing of the NPFL.
A safe match venue is not the absence of violence but a continuous and intentional effort to reduce frictions to the barest minimum.
Iwuala is NPFL Head of Media and Communications
