Baribote speaks out
by Ibitoye Shittu 01 January 2013, 17:28
Erstwhile Nigeria Premier League (NPL) chairman, Rumson Victor Baribote has angrily hit out at the nation's sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi.
Baribote is claiming that the sports minister is responsible for the melee between the clubs owners and the outgone board.
Baribote was in December last year thrown out as the NPL chairman after being accused of lack of transparency and accountability at the seventh annual gathering of the NPL held in Abuja.
Last month, the NFF however set up a 13-man Interim Management Committee that has temporarily taken charge the affairs of the NPL pending when another election would be conducted.
The committee is headed by former lawmaker, Nduka Irabor and has former Nigerian international, Kanu Nwankwo as a member.
Baribote disclosed to supersport.com that the sports minister should honourably resign his appointment adding that the head of the sports ministry is not worthy of being at the helm of the football and others sports in the country.
“He said he wants to sanitize sports in Nigeria, and if he really wants to lead by example as a leader, then he should resign having wasted billions of the tax payers money at the 2012 Olympics without a medal.
“He is a failure and he has his own hidden agenda by bringing IMG from London into the NPL without consulting either the NFF executive committee or the NPL board.
“Nigerians should know that the reason of removing the board was not for the interest of the game, but for the greedy act of the minister who sponsored the clubs owners to fight me in Abuja as he wanted to make something out of the system. The court case has been adjourned to January 22 where the truth shall be unveiled,” Baribote explained to supersport.com.
Meanwhile, several attempts to speak with the sports minister, Abdullahi was futile as his phone was switched off.
