There’s something in the pipeline for LMC, club owners – Yarma
How satisfied are you with the performance of Gombe United in the just concluded season?Primarily, I will like to appreciate God for seeing us through the season without any hitches. The performance of the team is encouraging compared with last season when we finished ninth. That is to show you that there is remarkable improvement […]
How satisfied are you with the performance of Gombe United in the just concluded season?
Primarily, I will like to appreciate God for seeing us through the season without any hitches. The performance of the team is encouraging compared with last season when we finished ninth. That is to show you that there is remarkable improvement in the team and with the way the boys played one must appreciate that there is a lot of technical input in the team. So, we commend the management led by its Chairman, Alhaji Awal Musa. The management of the team has done a lot of things. The technical adviser, Maurice Coleman and the backroom staff of Gombe United have all worked assiduously that we finish in a better position.
Looking at the performance of the club now, what are your expectations for next season?
The management of Gombe United have reviewed the performances of the players and have informed me that some unproductive players were dropped which is normal. They want to inject new players but the new players are not going to do screen because it affects the team negatively that is what we realised last season. We pencil down some players from various clubs from the nationwide teams, national league and even the premier league. We are trying to see that at the end of the day we inject the right players.
How is the sports commission copying with the mandate given to it by the state Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo?
We have achieved many things since we come on board, which could not have been possible without his support. There is a lot of improvement in terms of other sports not only football. We are transforming and we want to bring back the lost glory of sports in Gombe beginning from the school sports competitions. We have done it and we realised lot of potentials, which will be paraded in the National Youth Games in December. We select our boys from there and we are not going to take any mercenary. We are going to buy equipment for some selected schools to be used during inter-house sports and our technical staff will be sent to co-ordinate such competitions. The physically challenged are also encouraged to participate in sporting events. Recently we sponsored them to Abuja to participate in a Para-soccer competition. It is just two years and we have achieved many things. In capacity training, we are trying to see that our coaches and other technical staff are up to date. When they are up to date they can bring out what they have learnt into the field of play. These are some of the things we are doing and definitely, we are receiving a lot of support and commendation from our sports loving governor.
As you mentioned earlier, the maiden edition of the National Youth Games is around the corner, how ready is Gombe State?
If you go to Pantami Stadium you will know that Gombe state is prepared. We are preparing for the zonal elimination that is going to take place in Taraba for the team events. We are preparing very well for the competition that is going to take place in Abuja later this year. I am confident that the government will continue to support us. Gombe State is not going to the National Youth Games as a do or die affair. We are looking at it as a developmental project. The athletes from the schools competitions would be taken to the games and we believe that if we go there, we won’t be there to win at all cost but expose them and give them hope that they can do it for their state.
What is your general assessment of the organisation of the league under the League Management Committee (LMC)?
The LMC deserved commendation. They have done wonderfully well and we must commend them. If they are going to continue managing the NPL, I have belief and confidence that they are going to do more. It is not easy managing the Nigerian Premier League.
You seem to be contradicting yourself. Have you forgotten you were among some club owners that signed for the sack of same LMC?
Let me make it categorically clear, maybe some people don’t understand what we did. Based on the term of reference given to them by the NFF on October 28, we disassociated our association from them because the terms and reference had elapsed. After we have said thank you for doing a good job as I said earlier, we are waiting for further directives from the NFF, if they should continue or not. The LMC and club owners must sit and discuss the way forward. Maybe some people do not understand what we did
Do you want LMC to continue running the league?
I think there is something in the pipeline between the club owners and the LMC and I do not want to pre-empt that. If really NFF will abide by it then maybe NFF will understand the process and I believe it will be good. However, I do not want to pre-empt that.
How would you react to the allegations in some quarters that you chickened out of a deal to fix Gombe United and Bayelsa United match?
You know people have different feelings about human beings. Some people are desperate, some are envious, some are jealous. That is very unfortunate for this generation. During that period, I saw and heard many things but I remained calm. We played against Kano Pillars before we took on Bayelsa. The results of the two matches have vindicated me. It is entirely bad for football if you fix a match. What profit are you going to derive from it? I have said it times without number that I rather die than fix a match. I did not give room for anybody to call me and ask me for any favour. I told most of the people that we were going to beat Kano Pillars to join the fight for a continental ticket and in the end we had to beat Bayelsa United to stay up. So it was not possible to toy with any of the two matches. Maybe you people will contact kano pillars or Bayelsa and ask them how much they gave Gombe United or any other official in Gombe. They may be able to explain. As far as I am concerned, I am saying loud and clear that Gombe United will never fix a match.
Is it true that supersport have blacklisted clubs in the north due to the prevailing insecurity?
I am not aware. However, Gombe in particular is safer than Abuja. We want to showcase our pride. We want supersport to come to Gombe. The Nigerian Olympic Committee will have its AGM in Gombe State. If the place is not safe, people won’t go there. The Nigerian Referees Association that is the football referees had their AGM there. Gombe is the heartbeat of the north east. It does not have security problems like other places and we thank God. Let me use this medium to tell supersport that we have everything in place. We want them to come to Gombe and take our matches live. I am not talking about my state alone but other states that can guarantee security like Gombe. There may be security challenges which is not peculiar to the north anyway, but we have never had any ugly incident at any of our match centres.