I am one of the dozens, if not millions, who appreciate Governor Abba Kabir Yusif’s administration’s care and efforts to promote sports in Kano state.
Thanks to the governor’s well-crafted policies of his government as he is definitely doing everything in his power to support the development of sports in Kano State.
Governor Abba’s strong interest in the promotion of sports in the state is further demonstrated by the attention his government is given to anything sports brought to his table for approval.
He has consistently shown interest for the state’s sports development since the start of his administration, sending the message that he values sports and is keen to see sports flourish in Kano State.
We witnessed Governor Abba’s care and dedication to sports during his early years in office, when the government promptly formed an Interim Management Committee for Kano Pillars Football Club to supervise the team’s activities.
We also learned that his government consistently authorized and supplied a substantial amount of funding for the state’s athletes to participate in a variety of national competitions, both domestically and abroad.
Prior to the start of the previous football season, Governor Abba also authorized millions of Naira for the complete renovation of Sani Abacha Stadium.
Because of his love and passion for sports, I learned that governor Abba is willing to pay for athletic outings, whether they take place domestically or abroad, if asked to do so.
I will never forget your government’s moral and financial support for sports clubs and organizations like KASHIGA, NUGA, and others in organizing their respective championships.
The appointment of a commissioner and a special adviser solely for sports is another indication of his government’s passion, concern, and care for the state’s sports scene.
I also witnessed how the government removed the interim management of Kano Pillars Football Club, led by Babangida Little, after he and some of his board members refused to let peace reign in the club by continually fighting one another.
The Ali Mai Samba management emerged as a result of that, and it was warmly received and congratulated because Mai Samba’s arrival brought harmony and enduring peace back to the club.
Likewise, it is a fantastic and admirable gesture to rename the Kano State Sports Commission and its sister organization, the Kano State Sports Institute, after our 22 deceased athletes.
It is also admirable that the government announced it would take over the deceased’s families’ welfare and schooling.
These and numerous other actions were taken to benefit and better the state sports and enhance the state’s reputation and standing in Nigerian sports. But sadly, the story is not as robust as expected due to certain reasons.
For the simple reason that the government is not placing the correct peg in the right hole, its enormous moral, financial, and dedicated assistance did not seem to be recognized or evident in most places.
For this reason, I, along with many other sports fans, felt that the government needed to start placing the appropriate people in the proper positions if it wanted to start seeing the results of its investment in sports.
The government needs to know that, sports, unlike other industries, are expected to be managed by particular and highly technical individuals that have either been trained locally, obtained competence via experience, or learned at school.
Despite its apparent simplicity and ease, sports management is not a field that everyone can easily intrude in. It is only for those with its education, knowledge or experience.
And I’m grateful that Kano State has a wealth of highly qualified and experienced people who are readily available and can begin to produce fruitful outcomes.
I am convinced that the state can only enter a lucrative era if the sector is assigned to capable individuals who possess the technical know-how, experience, or skill to run it.
Most of the individuals currently occupying various positions in Kano’s sports are intruders who know nothing about sports growth and cannot push our sports to new heights.
Because of this, I continue to wonder or question why, despite the Kano State 22 Athlete Sports Commission’s significant contribution to sports growth, the government has not reconstituted its board. Since the commission is not the same as a sports council where only a director serves as its head.
By the law, the commission is an organization directed by an Executive Chairman and consists of six or seven members who direct five to six directors of the commission.
According to its working manual, the commission is responsible for planning and carrying out a wide range of sports-related events throughout the state.
Given its extremely ambitious mission, the commission’s duties include promoting, developing, and regulating sports in Kano State by offering chances for local, national, and international talent discovery, nurturing, and participation; and promoting unity, youth engagement, health, and socioeconomic development through sustainable sports policies and programs.
Many people, including me, are perplexed as to why the government is having difficulty appointing qualified and experienced individuals from Kano to manage the commission to promising land.
As I previously stated, the government will not face any challenges in selecting commission members due to the abundance of individuals capable of carrying out this task effectively in Kano state.
Unfortunately, the commission has been in the hands of one person for more than six years, despite its mandate to uncover all of the state’s hidden talents.
Apart from that, the commission has a big task that requires a group of highly qualified and experienced individuals to help it succeed.
The function of the commission includes:-
1. Regulatory Role:
Regulates all sporting activities and associations operating within the state and ensures compliance with national and international sports codes.
2. Event Management:
Organizes state-level competitions, festivals, and leagues and coordinates participation in national and zonal sporting events.
3. Facility Management:
Supervises the maintenance and management of public sports facilities and advises the government on sports infrastructure development.
4. Athlete Management:
Scouts, nurtures, and supports elite and upcoming athletes and also provides scholarships and support for education/sport balance.
5. Technical Development:
Develops and certifies coaches, referees, technical officials, and instructors. And also introduces scientific and technological support to enhance performance.
6. Monitoring & Evaluation:
Monitors the implementation of sports programs and measures performance outcomes and evaluates the impact of policies, competitions, and developmental programs.
Looking at the objectives of the commission, one will realize that it is ambitious too. Because its objectives including the followings:
1. Sports Development:
To ensure grassroots, youth, and elite sports development through structured training, competition, and talent identification programmes.
2. Infrastructure Provision:
To facilitate the development, maintenance, and optimal utilization of modern sports facilities across the state.
3. Capacity Building:
To build the capacity of athletes, coaches, referees, and sports administrators through workshops, certifications, and professional development.
4. Policy Implementation:
To develop and implement sports policies that align with the state’s development agenda and national sports objectives.
5. Partnerships & Investments:
To attract investments and partnerships from private, public, and international stakeholders for the advancement of sports.
6. Youth Engagement & Empowerment:
To engage youth positively through sports as a tool for character-building, discipline, job creation, and crime reduction.
7. Inclusivity:
To promote gender equality and inclusivity by supporting the participation of women, people with disabilities, and marginalized groups in sports.
The commission also prioritizes Youth Development, Social Integration, Economic Impact, Health Promotion, and Reputation & Representation, which explains why it is a professional beehive.
Considering the aforementioned, I must admit that I fail to see how this could be done if the right individuals were not chosen to head the commission.
As a result, Governor Abba must go back and seek around or within to find those who he believes can fit into his government’s goals and designate them to carry out this critical role.
As I have stated numerous times, Kano state is endowed with experienced, skilled, or highly educated individuals in society, academia, and even the Kwankwasiyya movement who are well-suited to oversee the commission toward its objectives.
It is only when we put the proper peg in the correct hole that we will start to witness positive development and outcomes in any competition in which Kano participates.
On the Sai Masu Gida, I am glad that the government has recently chosen new interim management for Kano Pillars Football Club, but I am also disappointed that the new management team is overburdened with members.
To most of us, the Pillars Management Committee should have at least six members, preferably no more than five. The 18 people chosen to run the board are too many and could impede or jeopardize the club’s fortunes and development.
It is not practiced anywhere in Nigeria, Africa, or beyond that is why I and many others don’t see any wisdom in it.
Furthermore, there is no operating handbook or decree that the Kano Pillars Football Club must follow in order to do its business.
To me, the government should have attempted to create a working manual for the team in order to resolve these types of inconsistencies year after year, during each regime. The State House of Assembly can be contacted for this, I suggest.
Doing this for the club will undoubtedly be very beneficial, especially in protecting the team from financial hegemony and executive poor management.
Likewise, although Ahmed Musa’s appointment as General Manager is praiseworthy, I don’t see him qualified to lead a team like Kano Pillars. He doesn’t have the abilities to achieve that, which is why.
I think Musa should have been given the opportunity to leave active football in order to gain the necessary experience before being promoted to the management cadre by being included to the board.
The government should first ask him to retire from active football, and then enable him to get club management experience before assigning him to manage Kano Pillars.
Ahmed Musa is currently serving a dual role as both a manager and a player, which I do not believe our football laws allow.
I keep stating that the only reason we aren’t getting the expected results in our sports today is that we haven’t been able to identify the appropriate people and then place them in command of the state’s sports operations.
That is what states that have excelled in Nigerian sports do, and we must emulate them in order to reach the Promised Land.
To get the desired result, people’s backgrounds and abilities must be carefully reviewed and analyzed before assigning a work for them to do.
That is why, despite our investment in sports, the state failed to perform well and win as many medals as Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Ogun states at the most recent National Sports Festival.
Therefore, to record or accomplish any tangible result or success the government recognizes all of these issues and takes appropriate action to rectify them.
I’m hoping that these will finally be addressed by the government so that sports development can be accelerated in Kano state.
