Former Governor of Kwara State and proprietor of ABS Football Club of Ilorin, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is in total support of the move by the Minister of Sports/Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi, to halt the start of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) 2012/2013 season.

The halt is to enable him restructure the league and tackle such outstanding issues as sponsorship and television rights. Speaking in Abuja over the weekend, Senator Saraki said he was confident that the league would be better for everyone involved in it by the time Abdullahi's restructuring team completes its assignment.

He said: "As a stakeholder, I can tell Nigerians that despite increase in funding, there has been no corresponding improvement in the league.

"What we have now is a badly run league where the title goes to the highest bidder. It is a league where the administrators are feeding fat while the players and clubs suffer in the midst of plenty."

Saraki added that the NPL was fraught with under-hand dealings, which were open to all stakeholders, stating: "Most of the people managing our league do not have what it takes to run football today. The standard of managers and administrators of our league is very low."

He posited that football and sports generally thrive on credibility, saying: "The moment fans know the result before a match and can predict what will happen, it becomes uninteresting and a huge turn-off. As a club owner, I crave a league that is credible, where there is fairness for all stakeholders.

"I want to watch the players display their best talent in fun-like and entertaining atmosphere, I want to see our players train with the best facilities in the world, I want funds invested or sourced through sponsorships go into developing and promoting the game and not into private pockets.