The Nigeria Football Federation named chairman of Nasarawa United Isaac Danladi on the committee that will investigate circumstances including, administrative lapses, surrounding the death of the Club’s player Chineme Martins.

Nigerian football was thrown into mourning last weekend after efforts to revive Martins, who had collapsed on the pitch during a league game, proved abortive.

The footballer couldn’t get a quick ambulance ride to the hospital because the stadium Ambulance and other medical equipment was faulty or inadequate.

By the time a working Ambulance arrived to convey the unconscious Martins to the hospital, it was almost too late and he was declared dead on arrival at the Dalhatu-Araf Specialist Hospital.

The footballer’s death drew criticisms including from the NFF and Ministry of Sport.

Custodians of the league, The League Management Company, was labelled incompetent and the standard of the NPFL was rightly berated over the tragedy.

Five days later the NFF will tow a very controversial line, when it decided to investigate the footballer’s death but named the club’s chairman as a member on it’s 12-man committee.

Isaac Danladi was apparently named in the committee because he doubles as the Chairman of NPFL Club owners.

However, his position in the panel could compromise the findings and recommendations of the committee that’s been “mandated to investigate the medical, security and administrative lapses which led to the untimely demise of the defender.”

The NFF will inaugurate the committee in Benin City on Monday, 16th March, but not before the LMC slammed the club with several disciplinary sanctions.

In a statement published on Thursday, the League body “ordered that no matches shall be hosted at the Lafia Township Stadium until medical requirements and measures stipulated in the League Rules are fully complied with.”

The Statement reads in part:

The LMC also wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) requesting that the Match Commissioner in the said fixture Mr. Christian Mbah from Enugu State Football Association, be withdrawn permanently from further participation in NPFL matches, for failure to perform his statutorily duty to ensure all requirements including Medical personnel and equipments are in place before allowing the match to go ahead and for also failing to submit his match report within the stipulated time frame despite the aggravated incident from the match.

The NFF in another letter by the LMC, was also requested to trim the number of those selected as Match Commissioners in NPFL matches and retain only those who have demonstrated high level of competence in enforcing provisions of the NFF Club Licensing Requirements. [sic]

…

Nasarawa United was fined N5,000,000 to be paid within ten (10) working days and another fine of N1,000,000 for conduct capable of bringing the league to disrepute.

The LMC also made a suspended order of six points deduction/forfeiture which will be activated should a similar breach occur before the end of the 2020/2021 season.

The club is required within 48 hours of the date of the notice, to either accept in writing, the summary jurisdiction and the sanctions or elect to be dealt with by a Commission.