THE HARRISON JALLA PERSPECTIVE: Shehu Dikko Blocks Owumi To Take Over As LMC CEO
Ex-international and one of the most prized assets of the Footballers Bloc, former chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) Davidson Owumi, who was appointed almost a year ago by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the Chief Executive Officer of the LMC, is being frustrated from taking command and control.
Shehu Dikko, a CONVICT of the Plateau State High Court Jos running away from the long arms of the law, is frustrating and blocking Owumi from taking over the affairs of the league organisers, while NFF President Amaju Pinnick looks the other way.
Dikko’s only achievement as LMC chairman is superintending over the killing of the flagship of Nigeria domestic football by looting all its sponsorship funds.
The 2021/2022 NPFL season may run into a hitch as Pinnick, who partners Shehu Dikko in the looting of the NPFL treasury, looks helplessly as this drama has been going on for almost a year.
We in the Footballers Bloc and the PFAN Task Force are closely watching events as they unfold.
I reproduce below the official press release by the NFF on Owumi’s appointment.
NFF endorses Davidson Owumi as LMC’s CEO-designate
The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick has approved the recommendation of the League Management Company (LMC) for the appointment of Mr Davidson Owumi as the new Chief Executive Officer of the organizing body for the Nigeria Professional Football League.
Owumi, who has had a stellar career both as a player in and outside Nigeria and as a club administrator, is expected to resume office after the upcoming annual general meeting of the League Management Company. He replaces Hon. Nduka Irabor, a celebrated journalist and former Member of the House of Representatives, who was the first Chairman of the LMC before becoming its CEO, and resigned from the position months ago.
“The LMC has started the new season on a positive note, putting their best foot forward with the telecast of the matches on NPFL.TV and some star games on NTA. The excitement is back and the spirit is right. It is the right time to bring in a class act like Owumi to help in steering the ship in the sterling direction that it has assumed,” NFF President Pinnick said on Wednesday.
Davidson Owumi is a titan in Nigeria domestic football as player and administrator of note. He started playing the game from his primary school days, and then played for Government College, Ughelli, NEPA FC and NNPC FC both of Warri, Flash Flamingoes, Bendel United, Sharks FC of Port Harcourt among others, and had stints in Greece, Cyprus, Qatar and Spain in his professional football odyssey. He also featured briefly for the Senior National Team.
The debonair Owumi emerged the League’s highest goal scorer in 1993, and three years later became Coach of 1977 Africa Cup Winners’ Cup champions, Rangers International FC of Enugu. Since then, he has served as Chairman of the club, served as MD/CEO of Warri Wolves, served as Board Member of Nigeria Premier League and as Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League. He is presently General Manager of Rangers International FC of Enugu.
“Owumi’s pedigree is impressive and we believe he will greatly complement the work that the LMC has been doing and help drive the new thinking, new vision and new direction. It was not an easy task to secure his release by the Enugu State Government to take up the LMC CEO’s position, and we quite understand. He is an asset to any establishment,” Pinnick added.
BY HARRISON JALLA
