Malam Farouk Yarma, owner of FC Yarmalight of Gombe State has insisted that there is no iota of truth and debunked the report of him or his club been part of the proposed Nigeria Private Investors Football League.

Last week, news broke that some Nigerian private clubs had concluded plans to start a separate private league christened, NPIFL.

The NPIFL, which would consist of only private owned football clubs in the country also announced a sum of Two Hundred Million Naira (N200m) as sponsorship fee. In a statement signed and made public, the pioneer Executive Chairman of Gombe State Sports Commission said: ‘My attention has been drawn to a write up making the round on the social media on the issue of floating a Private Football Club Owners League and of which my name and that of my club FC Yarmalight of Gombe were mentioned. 

‘For the avoidance of doubt no one had formally contacted me on the subject and I have not attended any meeting where such idea was muted. 

‘As a football stakeholder in Nigeria and one of the few private football club owners, I am in the forefront of advocating for the good of the privately owned clubs viz-a-viz any support or idea to make it a worthwhile investment in this part of the world.

‘However I am a very strong member of the Nigeria Football family who participate and associate with ‘Association Football ‘ as propelled by FIFA, CAF, WAFU, NFF and Gombe State Football Association. 

‘I am proud to say that any form of football establishment must follow the due process of aligning with the already established football structure as enshrined in football rules, statutes and extant laws. 

‘I assure my fellow private Football Club Owners of my support in whatever plan to develop the beautiful game inline with the Nigeria Football Federation approval as the custodian of football in Nigeria.’

  Farouk Yarma, FC Yarmalight, LMC, NFF, NPIFL