Nembe City Drops Baribote from Board as LMC Issues Their Conditional Clearance

Nembe City FC have been offered “provisional approval” to compete in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season by the League Management Company (LMC), after partially obliging to the conditions set by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) emergency meeting.

The club has been urged to send forthwith a written acknowledgement to the league body elucidating its readiness to participate in the ongoing league campaign as contained in the letter of admittance it received.

Nembe City will hence kick-off their campaign with a Matchday 5 game at Akwa United; should their acknowledgment reach the LMC before 12 noon, on Friday.

Nembe City are the First Side Since Gabros FC to Gain Promotion Into the Nigeria Top Flight in Their First Year as a Football Club (2011).
Nembe City are the First Side Since Gabros FC to Gain Promotion Into the Nigeria Top Flight in Their First Year as a Football Club (2011).

“In view of the foregoing, the LMC has granted your club provisional registration to participate in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season subject to the LMC receiving a letter of acknowledgment of the terms and conditions of this letter from your club by 12 noon on Friday, April 4, 2014,” a letter from the LMC Chief Operating Officer, Salihu Abubakar, read.

“Your club will thereafter commence participation from the upcoming Matchday 5 (Akwa United versus Nembe City) on Sunday, April 6 at Uyo.”

However, the Yenagoa-based club has from now until Matchday 9 to address other grey areas such as the submission of a proper lease agreement with Krisdera Hotel, owners of the stadium the club has nominated to host it league games

The LMC also drew the attention of Nembe City to the irregular signature of the chairman, Mrs. Ebiakpo Rumson, on separate documents submitted in the course of registration- as that on the letter of allegiance and the letter of appeal of their non-registration bears disparity.

“Nembe City is required to duly fill and submit LMC Form 17 (list of authorised signatories to LMC,” the letter added.

Nembe City’s letter addressed to the LMC “failed to categorically dissociate” the club’s activities from erstwhile chairman Rumson Victor Baribote, “who is currently serving a 15-year ban by the NFF and pursuing several court cases against the football authorities”.

But the LMC acknowledged that Mr. Baribote’s name was not included in the list of board members of the club and that his name has been removed from the official stationery of the club.

Significantly, Nembe City are to meet requirements on provision of performance guarantee on or before June 24 or will will face sanctions of points deduction, upgrade facilities at the Krisdera Hotel Stadium, submit contracts it signed with its management personnel, and show proof its head coach has a CAF License B certificate.