Anambra FA Crisis Deepens As Igbokwe Petitions Soludo Against Dictatorship, Corrupt Leadership
Ikechukwu Igbokwe, a football administrator has called in Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to take deliberate action to stop the alleged illegality at the Anambra Football Association which threatens to destroy the game in the state.
Igbokwe made the call in a petition entitled “Criminal Activities Of The Chairman of AnSFA Chikelue Iloenyosi On Illegally Expelling Fellow Elected AnSFA Board Members; Preventing Bye Elections Into Unfilled ANSFA Board Member Positions.
“Illegal Dissolution Of Local Football Councils Boards; Intimidating And Banning Innocent Anambra Football Stakeholders; Heartless Looting Of Anambra FA Treasury; And Total Destruction Of Football In Anambra”.
The 61 years old lawyer and football activist alleged that ever since the Iloenyosi assumed office as the AnSFA chairman in 2022, he had been lawless, breaking all known laws and statutes of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Igbokwe who has been into football administration since 1997, said the chairman had continued to threaten and intimidate Anambra football stakeholders claiming he had connections with top officials of the Nigeria Police Force.
The former executive secretary of defunct Gabros International FC of Nnewi, said genuine stakeholders had been scared away by Iloenyosi who dipped hands into the association treasury without any approvals from the Anambra FA board and General Assembly.
He appealed to Soludo to hastily intervene and save the Anambra football industry from irreparable damage.
“It is with a very heavy and sad heart, that l write you this petition against the highly unacceptable criminal activities of the current chairman of the Anambra FA, Chikelue Iloenyosi, in the Anambra State Football industry, since he assumed office, as chairman in 2022.
“Your Excellency, l cannot continue to keep quiet while Iloenyosi continues to loot Anambra football industry dry in broad daylight and in such an obscene, brazen and arrogant manner.
“The man has just been lawless, breaking all known laws and statutes guiding both the NFF and AnSFA.
“The man has run the FA all alone without other four elected board members. this intentional action of running the AnSFA, as a sole administrator in a clear criminal breach of ARTICLE 33(1) of the governing NFF statutes which provides for an elected board of members.
“This criminal defiance to the AnSFA statutes which clearly provide for a nine member board was solely to corner the resources in the football treasury of Anambra.
“He has blocked other elected board members from functioning, this intentional action is a premeditated criminal breach of article 33(1)
of NFF statutes which provides that board members of an FA should function without any hindrance or limitations.
“There has been board meetings
for the past three years of Iloenyosi’s reign as chairman, the man has not called one (correct) board meeting, so, he takes board decisions all alone in total exclusion of his co-elected board members.
“Due to certain force majeure and reasons, four board members’ seats could not be filled at the earlier AnSFA board membership elections that produced the fa board members,” he said.
Igbokwe said it was unfortunate that three of the unfilled AnSFA board members positions, belong to the Anambra south zone, which was the zone of the executive governor the governor of Anambra
He said Iloenyosi in his desperate effort to perpetuate himself in office intentionally and criminally breached the AnSFA statutes, which provided that each Local Government Area must have an elected Local Football Council to manage its football affairs.
“The FA chairman, in a desperate bid to criminally maneuver and rig himself into a 2nd term of office, in next year’s AnSFA board elections, after exhibiting clear gross incompetence.
“He is also facing total rejection of Anambra football stakeholders, has resorted to an illegal dissolution of the elected LFC boards,
“I request for an independent panel of inquiry, to probe the veracity of the allegations of this my criminal petition.
“To condone these is to enthrone a terrible precedent in Anambra football,” he said.
Recall that Iloenyosi had arrested Igbokwe and detained him at the Central Police Station, Awka for three days between Sept. 2 and Sept. 5.
The FA Chairman had petitioned the Police against Igbokwe alleging ‘continuous cyber bullying, defamation, and criminal misrepresentation’ in a petition written on his behalf by Supra Legal Chambers his lawyers.
The petition which was entitled “Petition Against Mr Leonard Iyke Igbokwe For Cyber Bullying, Defamation, and False Claim Of Legal Practice” said Igbokwe falsely paraded himself as a lawyer without ever attending the Nigerian Law School or being called to the Bar.
Igbokwe narrated that he was abducted on the street of Awka by gun wielding plane clothed men and taken to X-Squad Department of the Police Command in Awka on the petition of Chikelue Iloenyosi.
