By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
For his failure to make a full disclosure of the process that threw up a cable television network as the preferred broadcaster of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matches, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Freedom of Information Advocates Initiative (FOIA), has initiated a law suit in a Nigerian court against the Chairman of the league body, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye.
In a press statement signed by Mr Olawale Odukomaiya, FOIA Head of Sports Directorate, sighted by Prompt News, the organisation said it approached the court because the league body and its Chairman have bluntly refused to supply the information requested by FOIA and has now deemed it denied by virtue of Section 7(4) of the FOI Act 2011 (as amended) hence it headed to the court.
The statement titled: “Press Statement in Respect of Freedom of Information Request from the Chairman, NPFL-Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye” read:
“Gentlemen of the press, Nigerian football stakeholders, and esteemed fans of the beautiful game in Nigeria. It has become expedient to provide you full disclosure in relation to the opaqueness that has characterised the running the affairs of the number one league in Nigeria by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.
Kindly recall that recently, Hon Elegbeleye, flanked by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Chairman- Ibrahim Gusau, and some Chinese nationals, including officials from the Chinese embassy in Nigeria announced that StarTimes, was now the exclusive broadcast partner of the NPFL, for a period of five years. The NFF president at the event also regaled us with the fact that the process that produced StarTimes, was “painstaking” with “thorough due diligence”.
We, thus decided to test the level of transparency and due diligence thoroughness of the process that threw up StarTimes as the preferred broadcaster. By virtue of freedom of information request letter dated 17th November 2023, we demanded from Hon Elegbeleye and the NPFL, within seven (7) days, the following:
i) Copies of advertisements made in national newspapers, wherein interested
potential partners were invited to submit their bids and proposals.
ii) Dates, and location of where the opening of the submitted bids and proposals took
place, and
iii) Copies of authorisation letter from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) or any other relevant government agencies that granted waiver from (i) and (ii) above, if any.
Up to this moment, Hon Elegbeleye, and the NPFL have not deem it necessary to reply to our request. On 4th December 2023, after the expiration of the statutory seven (7) days, we wrote to Hon Elegbeleye, and the NPFL informing them that due to effluxion of time, the information requested has now been deemed denied by virtue of section 7(4) of the FOI Act 2011 (as amended). READ ALSO:
- Governor Okpebholo Holds Steady Advantage as Edo Election Tribunal Progresses
- FAAC shares N1.424trn December revenue to FG, states, LGs
- Tinubu Commends Nigerian Governors For Supporting Tax Reform
- Tax Reform Bills: Zacch Adedeji, The Man Of Steel
- Breaking The Cycle: How Nigeria’s Economy Shapes Democracy
We further reminded Hon Elegbeleye and the NPFL that despite the registration of NPFL as a private company limited by guarantee, it remained a public institution, by virtue of section 2(7) of the same FOI Act 2011. That section regards any organisation rendering public functions, or public service as a public institution, irrespective of the veil of incorporation. All our legal correspondences remained ignored.
Consequently, in the interest of justice, fairplay and transparency, we have resolved to approach the courts to compel Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye and NPFL to disclose the information requested, declare their (Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye and NPFL) refusal as illegal, and convict them both for breach of the FOI Act 2011 (as amended).
We insist that where the foundation is crooked, the structure will remain compromised, and therefore, no good for anyone. Nigerians had suffered enough from the consequences of bad football governance, that has meant broadcast of our league have been in abeyance for almost a decade.
We cannot start another cycle of uncertainty. We thank you for your time and look forward to further engagement”.
