The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday expressed shock over the death of a former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League and second Vice President of the NFF, Chief Oyuki Jackson Obaseki.
Chief Oyuki Jackson Obaseki, who was the first Chairman of the Nigeria Professional Football League, died on Sunday at the age of 75 after a protracted illness in Benin City, Edo State.
Confirming the development, NFF in a statement by its Acting President, Seyi Akinwunmi said, “A truly big tree has fallen. We remember very much the work that Chief Obaseki did to promote and project the elite division of the Nigeria League during his time as chairman. It was difficult to match his passion and energy as he pursued his vision for an independent League body.
“We worked together at some point during the early days of the efforts to reposition the Nigeria Premier League. He took everything that needed to be done as a project and drove everyone else around him hard to play their own roles appropriately,” he added.
The 75 –year old was pioneer chairman of the body known as Interim Management Committee, which was inaugurated in February 2005, and which transmuted to the Nigeria Premier League the following year.