Former President of Nigeria Football Federation and Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, OFR, ROI has felicitated with Mallam Shehu Dikko, who was on Wednesday appointed as Chairman of the reinstated National Sports Commission by President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
Dikko, who was Chairman of the Nigeria Professional Football League (Nigeria’s top division) and 2nd Vice President of the NFF during Pinnick’s eight-year presidency, has served in various committees of the Confederation of African Football, and still seats on the FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee.
“I thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu immensely for this big task handed over to one man that I am convinced can do a good job. Dikko was very close to me personally during our years at the NFF because I saw in him a man with profound vision, dynamism, capacity for a lot of good and great things, positivity and sincerity.
“Shehu Dikko personified productivity and creativity, and every good thing we accomplished in those years had his hand in it. He is tireless and selfless, and has acquired immense knowledge and experience in the sports industry over the past 30 years. I have no doubt that he’s the man to turn around our sports for the better and guarantee our athletes podium performance at the next Olympics in Los Angeles.”
Describing Dikko as a team player with integrity, energy and resilience, Pinnick expressed confidence that Dikko will justify the confidence reposed in him by Mr. President.
“Dikko is highly under-rated but I see him picking the best brains in the land to work with him and set a template for the kind of sports industry that we have always wanted – one that will ultimately benefit all stakeholders and start to contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.