By Khalid Idris Doya
Four Board members of Bauchi state Football Association (FA) have removed the state Chairman of the association, Mr Patrick Paschal, a former Nigerian International footballer over alleged violations of rules and regulations of the association.
Also, the four executive committee members of the state FA endorsed vice chairman of the association Alhaji Adamu Madachi to serve as acting chairman.
Board members led by Mr Usman Abbas Shehu while addressing Journalists at the Bauchi NUJ Press Center yesterday, accused Patrick Paschal for flagrant abuse of office, high headedness, exclusion and breaching of many provisions of the Statute of the Association which led them to vote no confidence in his leadership.
They accused him of running the Association as his personal property as he has refused to call for a general Congress since they were elected in June 2019.
They said, the Chairman of the Bauchi State Football Association is running a unilateral government making unilateral decisions affecting the State Football Association without recourse to the opinion, views, responsibilities, rights and positions of other Board members which contrary to Article 3 (1) (2) and (3) of the Statutes.
Also the members demanded a full Accounting and expenditure of the COVID-19 and other Palliatives grant sent to the State Football Association by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
“The goal project building which is under the custody of Bauchi State Association was turned into a Personal Guest House of the Chairman where fees are paid by Guests on a short time or full time basis without the consent of the State Executive Committee.”
“Constituting a local Football council across the State clearly violates Article 17(1) of the Statutes of the State FA where it is stated that local Football council, clubs, League or any other group affiliated to Bauchi State Football Association shall be subordinate to and recognized by Bauchi State FA. These Statutes define the scope of authority and rights and duties of these clubs and groups. These Statutes and regulations must be approved by the Executive Committee of Bauchi State Football Association.
“Based on the above Article, the Executive Committee of State FA is not aware of any formation or election of local Football Council across the (20) LGAs of the State let alone approving it as enshrine in the Statutes of Bauchi State Football Association.”
“In Article 20(5) stated that the State Football Association shall be composed of Nine (9) persons three from each Senatorial Districts and made up as follows: Chairman, Vice Chairman and Seven (7) Ordinary Members.
“(b) All the above officials shall be elected by the annual general assembly of the State Football Association, in the case of Bauchi State Football Association it has only Five Members as follows: Chairman, Vice Chairman and Three (3) other Ordinary Members.
“All effort for bye election to fill the vacant positions proved abortive as the Chairman refused to call for the bye election and it is contrary to the above mentioned Article.”
“Under article 31(1-2) The State Ordinary General Assembly shall be held every Year. Records have shown that none of the Members of the State Executive Committee was duly informed or notified in writing within the stipulated Seven (7) days’ notice as contained in the above Article. The Chairman unilaterally and in Violation of the said Article convened a General Congress and constituted an illegal electoral committee without the consent of the state Executive Committee. Therefore the congress and the constituted electoral committee stands Null and Void and without effect whatsoever.”
They also accused him of not carrying other members along in the running of the affairs of the association citing examples with a few competitions he singlehandedly organized claiming that it was done by the FA after he had initially informed them that it was sponsored by Prof Suleiman Bogoro and later an unnamed Naval Officer.
While reacting to the development, Patrick Paschal dismissed his purported removal as a joke and the figment of the imagination of the four board members.
According to him, “They said that they removed me, I am presently in the office working. Those four board members have been removed during a Congress we had on (Wednesday). The Congress is above any person.”
He boasted that nobody can remove him as the Chairman of the Association without following the due process laid down in the Statutes of the Association.
Patrick Paschal dismissed all the allegations against him describing them as baseless and unfounded stressing that they cannot be substantiated.
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