President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has pledged his full support to the present administration of the Benue State Football Association, BSFA led by the Chairman, Barr. Paul Edeh.
During a courtesy visit on the NFF Secretariat held at the Sunday Dankaro House in Abuja, the NFF President praised the State’s FA vision and dedication to developing football from the grassroots.
While expressing his admiration and confidence in the Barr. Paul Edeh led team, Gusua said BSFA programmes to achieve success through their emphasis on grassroots development is in tandem with his NFF board, adding that the State’s FA would get the full backing of the apex football body.
“I want to assure you that under my watch we shall do everything possible to support your leadership. When Hon. Icheen met me to communicate that she is not going to contest again. I told her I don’t want to talk about that now, that she should give me a little time but later Barrister Paul Edeh told me his intention to contest for the Benue FA Chairman”,
“I felt a little bit relieved because the whole essence is to get people that are interested and committed to the game of football because if we don’t have people that are interested and committed and we give them authority we’re deceiving ourselves. Since I have that discussion with him and God in his own wisdom will see us through to make sure we achieve our goals as FA chairman and NFF president respectively”.
The country’s number one football citizen also said he was deeply honoured by the presence and presentation of the delegation, stressing that the visit by the BSFA was the first of its kind and urged them to sustain such a path of leadership.
“Am proud of you honestly because your board is the first FA board that is making this kind of visit. This is a pointer to the fact that your leadership as Benue state Chairman will be exceptional”
Earlier, the Chairman of the BSFA and President, Ratels Sports Development Foundation, RSDF Barr. Paul Edeh, while affirming his enduring passion for Sports within and without the State, said the mission of the visit was to ensure that the football programmes designed by the current board of the State’s FA are not at variance with that of the NFF board aimed at achieving the most desirable possible ways of grassroots Sports development.
“When I wanted to contest for the Benue state FA Chairman, first i swept through your manifest so that I can understand the vision of the man who’s currently the first citizen of football in Nigeria and two paramount things I saw that cought my attention-first is your vision to develope football from the grassroots and quickly I lashed on to it and began to campaign in that direction”,
“Today, I must confess that there are two similarities we have. First, when you came on board you insisted that you must have to women on your board. In following with your footsteps when I was contesting I also said I will have two women on my board and by the grace of God I have two women on my board”.
Barr. Edeh, while also thanking the NFF President for granting his board audience within a short notice, appealed to the NFF to assist the State FA utilize her football facilities for their original purposes, adding that Benue State had made tremendous contributions to football in Nigeria but current infrastructural deficit if not urgently addressed would ebb the culture of football in the State and by extention, the country.
“As a board we shouldn’t run into our administration without first consulting and understanding what the vision of the president is regarding the growth of football at the FA level. So we’re here to hear what your visions are so that when I run along with it, we’ll be running in line with your vision and accomplish it head-on”.
Sharing the board’s encounter with some stakeholders in Benue State over the course of their previous visits, the astute football administrator further advocated the need to embrace a policy direction that encourages the combination of Sports and education.
High point of the Courtesy Call was a presentation of a variety of two big hamper baskets of fruits in addition to other memorabilia handed to the NFF President by the leadership of the BSFA to symbolize why the State is regarded as the food basket of the nation.
The event also saw the presence of other notable figures, including NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and a board member representing North-central, Mrs. Margaret Icheen.
