by George Akpayen
Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Dolphins FC, have been renamed Rivers United by their owner, the Rivers State government.
The League Management Company (LMC), which oversees the top-flight in Nigeria, announced that the name change was agreed on Thursday evening following a "formal request by the government of Rivers."
"Dolphins Football Club now Rivers United Football Club," the LMC announced via its Twitter account on Thursday. "The LMC agreed to the name change this evening upon formal request by the Govt of Rivers."
LMC chairman, Shehu Dikko, also explained that the name change was granted since "it was not offensive or prejudicial to national unity" and is also "agreeable with community identity, supporters' followership and commercial interest of the NPFL."
However, supersport.com sources informed that the name change is the first sign of the Rivers State government sounding a death knell to owning two clubs - Dolphins and Sharks.
The name change and merger of the two clubs have been in the works for sometime, supersport.com was made to understand before a decision was reached on Thursday.
The Rivers State government, according to supersport.com sources, has decided to move to cushion the huge spending of funding two professional clubs and in the wake of the austere times facing the Nigerian economy.
The new logo of Rivers United already bears the resemblance of a dolphin and a shark, pointing to a merge of both Port Harcourt clubs with a number of Sharks players now signed on for the NPFL side.
It is also understood that the Rivers State government will now look to sell off the slot of Sharks in the Nigeria National League (NNL).
Supersport.com has been further hinted that Okey Kpalukwu is in line to be named general manager of Rivers United while Ahmed Abdulrahman will keep his position as secretary of the club.
Rivers United will start the new NPFL season at home against Enyimba this Sunday.
Culled from www.supersport.com