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James Shamange
I had advised Coach Bala Abubakar last week on the need to thread carefully in his contract negotiations with Iorfa over Lobi Stars coaching job, though an advise is not an imposition of my opinion on him, he was free to weigh his options. Few days later he announced his resignation from Tornadoes.
Beyond the advise to Coach Bala, I view the process of consummating the contract as flawed and ill intentioned as Iorfa is going into a contract of as long a period of two years without a board approval or government approving officer.
The board of Lobi Stars was dissolved alongside other boards, if by an executive prerogative of the Governor he was allowed to take the club to Super 6 as was done in Enyimba Int’l, one will understand, and it will be expected that certain key decisions would be beyond his approval limit.
If Iorfa had an urgent need for a coach when a board is not in place, he may have to in exercise of the doctrine of necessity offer a short contract to Coach Bala of not more than six month renewable upon the coming in of a new board or performance based thereof. For Iorfa to unilaterally wake up to contract Bala for two years when the new Governor have not given him a mandate to continue is just a playout of actions of former Governor Ortom in the twilight of his tenure in office, which will create problems for the incoming board should Iorfa leaves.
What will be the sense in been unable to pay a coach who led your team to beat tornadoes twice and drew one out of three recent games to engage the later? What are the parameters been used here? Lobi Stars under Ganaru engaged Coach Bala Abubakar’s Tornadoes three times in the last 12 months, Lobi Stars triumph two times and drew the third.
I learnt from impeccable sources that the Deputy Governor who is assuming the Chairman of Lobi Stars by default without an appointment by the Governor is behind Iorfa’s actions because of their bloodline relationship as his maternal cousin.
The fact of the matter is that, Iorfa doesn’t have powers to contract Bala now, so also does Sam Ode, though the Deputy Governor but has not been appointed as Chairman of Lobi Stars. Coach Bala may be on his own if Governor Alia eventually appoints a new board and chief executive officer of the club other than Iorfa. To be fore warned is to be fore armed.
