BY SEGUN OLANREWAJU
Football family in Lagos State Tuesday afternoon heard the surprised news that the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), Ogboni Foaud Oki, has been suspended by the board of the association.
It was a surprise because the board was inaugurated less than a year ago and it marveled stakeholders that internal wrangling could have taken the shine off the affairs of the FA of a state regarded as the Centre of Excellence
Independent News Express understood that during a board meeting at its Secretariat in Surulere, Lagos, the board suspended its chairman after it deliberated upon the several acts of misconducts and high handedness labelled against Oki and voted 5-4 in favour of his suspension.
The board after the exercise gave reasons for the suspension to include; not attending NFF congress without genuine excuse and knowledge of the Lagos FA board, changing the association’s logo without approval of the board, denying the Nigerian Professional League (NPFL) AI Camera delegates access to test-run the AI camera prior to the commencement of the league and total disregard to NFF instructions on NPFL rules and regulations regarding branding and streaming of matches by their affiliate (Sporting Lagos FC).
Other allegations leveled against the embattled chairman are that he released the 2023/2024 NNL season match day logistics to NNL clubs without the knowledge of the board. been in loggerhead with Lagos State Sports Commission on the use of facilities thereby spoiling a hitherto amiable relationship, delaying and stopping several youth tournaments, recreational football and threatening teams to move out of Lagos and initiating the independence of LSFA outside of the authority of NFF.
Highlights for his suspension.
1. Not attending the NFF Congress with no excuse and without the knowledge of the LSFA Board.
2. Change of the Association Logo without approval of the Board and the Congress.
3. Denying the Nigerian Professional League (NPFL) AI Camera delegates access to test-run the AI camera prior to the commencement of the league.
4. Total disregard to NFF instructions on NPFL rules and regulations regarding branding and streaming of matches by our affiliate (Sporting Lagos FC).
4. Release of 2023/2024 NNL SEASON – MATCH DAY LOGISTiCS to NNL Clubs without the knowledge of the board.
5. Loggerheads with Lagos State Sports Commission on the use of facilities and spoiling a hitherto amiable relationship.
6. Delaying and stopping several youth tournaments, recreational football and threatening teams to move out of Lagos.
7. Initiating independence of LSFA outside of the authority of NFF.