By Oliver Kum, January 15, 2020
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| Ado Ali Katyen, Chairman Mighty Jets FC |
The Chairman, Mighty Jets FC, Ado Ali Katyen has described as appalling and unfortunate the attitude of the Plateau State Commissioner of Youths and Sports, Hon Victor Lapang which he said was capable of causing serious setback for the Club.
Ado was appointed in October last year and in an exclusive chat with African Drum last week, the new Chairman said that the Hon Commissioner was bent on interfering in the activities of the club by his insistence to imposed the immediate past Chairman of the Club, Alex Wukari on the Club.
Wukari’s four years tenure is said to have ended on October 25, 2020 from October 2016. Prior to the expiration of Wukari’s tenure, the President Board of Founders, Ismaila Mabo was said to have met Governor Lalong and informed him of the expiration of Wukari’s tenure and his intention to appoint Ado Katyen as the next Chairman of Mighty Jets FC. Gov Lalong was said to have told Mabo that he had no problem with the decision stressing that, after all, it was Mabo’s Club. The Governor was said to have added that whatever the state government was doing for the club was in a form of assistance.
However, immediately after the appointment of Katyen, a lot of intrigues began to play out as narrated by the new Chairman. “Before my predecessor came on board, I understand one, Hamza was the Chairman of the Club who was appointed by the Board of Founders.
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| Victor Lapang, Hon Commissioner Ministry of Youths & Sports Plateau State |
” He was replaced by Alex Wukari on October 25, 2016 to October 25, 2020. I was appointed to run the affairs of the Club on October 26, 2020.
” However, because of series of interests, things took a different dimension as to whether Wukari should accept to step down or not.
“The argument advanced by these interests was that it is government that is sponsoring the club and therefore, should be the one to make the appointment.
” The Hon Commissioner even said that Ismaila Mabo disrespected him because he ought to have consulted him before making the appointment.
“And we were all taken aback. Has it ever happened? Has anybody ever been consulted before a new leadership was appointed in Mighty Jets FC? Ironically, all the past management of the club were appointed by the same source”, Katyen said.
It is further said that things took a weird turn when the Hon commissioner purportedly reaffirmed the appointment of Alex Wukari and constituted a new management team for the Club. On this, the Chairman said, “it beats my imagination when the Hon commissioner said he reaffirmed the appointment of Alex Wukari after the expiration of his tenure.
“This is amazing because the Hon commissioner doesn’t have the power to do that because Mighty Jets FC is not a government agency or parastatals. How do you reaffirmed the appointment of someone whose source of initial appointment was not from you?
” To me, this is an aberration. This is something that will continue to task the ingenuity of sport experts and commentators for a very long time”.
Katyen further said that while sport enthusiasts were still pondering on the ugly development, the Hon Commissioner flew another kite of a purported Mighty Jets International. “Lately, the Hon commissioner has been the one leading in the promotion a purported Mighty Jets International.
“The Hon commissioner also said that he got a letter from the ministry of Justice in 2018 to the effect that Mighty Jets FC was registered in error. And I am saying this is absurd.
“Why would the Hon commissioner wants to employ all manner of tricks to confer legitimacy on someone whose tenure in office has expired. This has continued to beat our imagination.
“It is also appalling and absurd that the Hon commissioner would stoop so law and becomes the spoke person of a purported Mighty Jets International. Mighty Jets FC is a Legal entity.
” It’s a Private entity. It’s a Limited Liability Company and only the Board of Founders have the powers to take decisions for the Club not the Hon commissioner”, he said.
Katyen added that even the Hon commissioner in several memos has alluded to the fact that government was only assisting Mighty Jets FC financially and that government had nothing to do with how the affairs of the Club was run and wondered why would the Hon commissioner would Summersault on this. According to the Chairman of Mighty Jets FC, “On November 26, 2020, the Hon commissioner was on Jay FM saying that there is a Mighty Jets international from Ali promoters, Mighty Jets international of Ismaila Mabo.
“Then, the Sunday before Christmas, he was on NTA 24 and said that Mighty Jets FC constituted a new Board. And I asked, what sort of acrobatic is this? What sort of Summersault is this?
“Where really is the Hon commissioner standing? Is it Mighty Jets international or Mighty Jets FC? Why is the Hon Commissioner promoting illegality? Why is the Hon Commissioner continuing to confer legitimacy on somebody simply because government is assisting the Club financially?
“For all intent and purposes, the Hon Commissioner doesn’t have a stake in Mighty Jets FC. He is not a member of the Board of Directors, he is not a share holder neither is he a founder, why the interest in the Club?”, Katyen asked rhetorically.
Speaking further, the Chairman wondered why the Hon Commissioner has deliberately chosen to jettisoned extant laws. “If you look at the Company and Allied Matters Act, it’s clearly stated.
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| Ismailia Mabo, President Board of Founders Mighty Jets FC |
“Otherwise, he would have known that there is a clear distinction between a government agency and private limited liability company”, he said.
Katyen also accused the Plateau Football Association (PFA) of taking side instead of being neutral. He also accused a brother to Governor Lalong of trying to arm twist Ismaila Mabo not to unveil him as the Chairman of Mighty Jets FC. “There was someone who said was a brother to the Governor. He took Mabo to his house and tried to persuade him not to unveil me as Chairman Mighty Jets FC but Mabo told him he has already made his choice in Ado Ali Katyen”.
Making more clarifications, Katyen said there are conditions to be fulfilled before a Club goes international. “The point is clear, we are Mighty Jets FC. We are in the Pro League. We are second on the Pro League table and there is a condition precedent which is that, if you want to go international, you would have to clear our players whom you’re training with from us. You would have to pay us and I assure you we would not take less than N10 million for each player”, Katyen said.
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| Sunday Longbang, Chairman, Plateau Football Association (PFA) |
Efforts to hear the sides of the Hon Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Victor Lapang as well as Chairman, Plateau Football Association Mr. Sunday Longbag proved abortive as non of them responded to telephone calls put through their cellphone by our Chief Editor.
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