Following the query by Dr. Jeff Teya of the JT Jaguars, the Competitions Council (CC) has clarified on the eligibility on the City Oilers mid-season signings.
In an email on Sunday 24th, Dr.Jeff wrote to the CC seeking clarification and implementation of articles 3.05(h) of the 2025 FUBA Rules and Regulations Handbook, which provides a 14-day window for a player (international transfer) to physically append their signature on the club bio-data form.
Dr. Jeff argued that the City Oilers players were allowed to use digital signatures which is outside the rules.
The Competitions Council responded by saying that the City Oilers players did everything by the book.
In their response, they say that players Chad Bowie and Kurt Curry sent emails to the City Oilers Administrator with their physically appended signatures and these were forwarded to CC on 27th July which was within the transfer window.
As thus, they followed the law which talks about physically appending the signature.
Where is the problem in this?
The Competition Council has in various emails tasked the teams and players, more so during the transfer window, to go to the FUBA office and append their signatures from their.
If this was an option, why didn’t they communicate it to all teams.
The JT Jaguars’ Jeff Teya and Namuwongo Blazers CEO Daniel Muttu all said that they had players that they wanted but since they couldn’t make it to the country to append the signature physically in that window, they then had to let them go and get those that would be available.
If this was an option, then all teams should have been told so as to level the playing field.
As seen in multiple emails, the CC tasked teams and players to go to the office.
If one team is an exception, then there is no beating the allegations of favoritism.
Secondly, how sure are we that it was Kurt Curry or Chad Bowie who signed that form.
Them not being seen by a CC member leaves some shadow of doubt which wouldn’t have been the case if they were seen signing physically.
Maybe there is a video, who knows?
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Did City Oilers break the law?
If you follow what the law says, City Oilers did not break the law.
However, the Competitions Council made a mistake. They misled(to a degree) the teams.
They told teams and players to go to sign at the FUBA offices.
If this option of signing, scanning and sending via email was available, they should have let the teams know.
Brenda Ekon asked if a person could sign on her behalf as she was far, they said it wasn’t possible. They urged her to come physically and sign. Why didn’t they guide on the option of signing, scanning then sending via email?
The problem here is not City Oilers. It is CC. The Oilers saw a loop hole and used it. On the flip side, this has exposed CC to a degree.
Nonetheless, the City Oilers players Chad Bowie and Kurt Curry will play in the playoffs as they try to guide the 10-time champions to an eleventh.
The quarter-final series between the City Oilers and the JT Jaguars will be the most anticipated.
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