By Sedara Oluwadara
President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has set up a five man committee that’ll wade into the lingering crisis rocking players unionism in Nigeria as part of his effort to usher in a peaceful resolution of conflicts between aggrieved parties of Ex internationals
.The committee will be led by His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Governor Philip Shaibu as the chairman, Abdulrafiu Yusuf will serve as the (Secretary), while Ex Internationals, Chief Emmanuel Okala (MON), Dr Felix Owolabi Akinloye (MON) and former Nigerian midfielder, Mallam Garba Lawal forms the other members of the cabinet.
NFF President Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau addressing newsmen in Abuja.
Currently they’re parallel bodies, a monumental challenge that sees each fashion laying claim to be the recognized union in Nigerian football which has brought about rift, division and discord amongst members, and has not in any way helped the progress of the union regarding the general well being of these group of individuals.
Speaking during a press conference at the headquarters of the Nigeria football federation on Monday, Gusau said, as part of his campaign promises, he had vowed that every stakeholder in Nigeria will be carried along in the scheme of things in this present dispensation in ensuring that the game of football gets to it’s desired destination.
The ingenious administrator further assured of his readiness to do the needful in making sure that at least his administration changes the face of Nigerian football, stressing that the players union is an important union that his regime must work together with, and asserting they cannot work together with them if they’re in a parallel direction.
“Today you have one group, tomorrow you have another group, this is a situation we need to put it to rest, which I feel is very important for us to move forward as far as we’re concerned. we don’t want a situation whereby we’ll be having any distraction going forward”
“So we must do everything we need to do to ensure we make them one big family, they need to come together to have a clear environment to work hand in hand with them to move the game of football forward”
“Part of my campaign promises is to ensure that at least every single stakeholder will be carried along, and then I feel the Ex players or players union should be the number one for us to try and see how we can bring them together then we move together on other issues
”Meanwhile, Chairman of the committee, Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu expressed gratitude to the president for his insight and his sagacity in trying to reposition Nigerian football, saying their interest is how they’ll better the lot of Nigerian’s and make Nigeria become number one again in Africa.
Shaibu assured that the members of the committee Gusau carefully selected are like minds and similar folks determined to come together to form a formidable and strong support team for football to flourish in Nigeria.“
All our interest is how we’ll better the lot of Nigerian’s and make Nigeria the number one”
“We’ve gotten our terms of reference, with God on our side and our positive interest to develop football in Nigeria number one, we’ll discharge our duties to the best of our abilities to achieve our target”
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