“We made every appointment which includes that of the board chairman and members of the board together with that of the secretary of the board. I warned all of you against challenging the executive directives. Peace is the ultimate desire in the club”.
These were the words of His Excellency the Governor of Kano state, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf when he hosted the players, technical crew, management, and some stakeholders of the Kano Pillars Football Club in his office last week.
Besides, the governor made some series of promising commitments to the club which bookmakers viewed and described as a booster to the entire players of the club. Some described it as executive efforts aimed at restoring the lost glory of the club.
The governor’s concerns, love and contribution to sports development in the state is not hidden but widely open because his sports reforms in his agenda are transformational.
I have carefully watched and studied the way and manner governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is treating and handling sports matters and issues in the state with utmost care and attention.
And that made not only me to see him as a leader with a strong sense of purpose that creates a ripple effect that is transforming the lives of everybody in the state. .
Governor Abba Gida-Gida as he is fondly called is a purposeful leader who inspires others to be their best selves and helps to create a culture of positivity and growth in every sector of the state.
I see him as a leader who also creates a vision that others can believe in and work towards, leading to greater collaboration, teamwork, and success.
I also see Governor Abba as a leader who is passionate about sports and has a clear purpose to help develop sports in the state.
The governor in also inspires the people he is working with to work harder, to believe in themselves, and to make a positive impact wherever they are working.
And that is why if this month is to be December, the last month of 2024, my Sports Governor/administrator of the year will not be any other person than Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, the governor of Kano state.
My admiration for the governor is his concern for Kano Pillars Football Club and any other sports related issues.
This can be clearly seen by the way and manner he handpicked 13 people and appointed them as the management board for Kano Pillars few days in office.
More so, my judgment for this important position for the governor increases from the way he cautioned and directed the chairman of Kano Pillars and his board members to do the needful anytime they derailed from the path of peace and tranquility.
Only last week, the governor told Kano Pillars management board and others when he hosted them last week that he made every appointment of the board and warned them against challenging the executive directives.
To me, the governor’s harsh words to the board was not unconnected with the recent crisis that engulf the team again when the club chairman, his board members and Kano State Sports Commission connived and axed the government appointed secretary of the team, Dr. Sani Ibrahim from his position via a vote of no confidence which was well circulated even though without address of the writer and the office or officer addressed to.
Remembered that Governor Yusuf had invited Kano Pillars to his office to express support and appreciation for their performance in the Nigeria Premier Football League the President Federation (FA) Cup of which the club had reached Semi – Final stage.
Governor Abba, who noted that Kano Pillars Football Club was a dominant force in Nigerian football, having won the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) four times, urged them to double their efforts and make the state great.
These achievements according to the governor ranked the team as the best club in Northern Nigeria and the third best in the country, behind Enyimba FC who have nine titles and Enugu Rangers FC with six titles.
During the hosting, the governor made a series of promising commitments aimed at restoring the club’s former glory as he assured that the henceforth, the players’ allowances will no longer be delayed.
Governor Abba further assured that the players will be provided with the best kits and boots available and a significant upgrade from their current equipment.
Furthermore, the governor announced plans to construct an ultra-modern club house and purchase new buses to facilitate the club’s movement and improve their overall welfare.
Additionally, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf also promised to sponsor air travels for the team whenever they need to play matches in far distant southern locations of the country.
All these assurances by the governor have been warmly received by all the soccer fans and stakeholders in Kano state sports sector, who viewed them all as a symbol of hope for the restoration of Kano Pillars lost glory in the country.
Unlike what the management of Kano Pillars Football Club used to be telling us, the governor unfolded that he has never delayed every request of Kano pillars in his office.
Governor Abba also stressed that every request of Kano Pillars ranging from the match bonus, feeding allowances and other welfare packages will be addressed thoroughly through the Honorable Commissioner.
For all these Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, deserved commendation and support as he has pledged to transform Kano Pillars into a formidable force in the NPFL once again.
But to be candid until the chairman of Kano Pillars FC is called to order peace can never reign in the team as he is deciding what to do without his management board contributions and consent which I am sure is not what the governor asked him to do.
And that is why I was very surprised when I noticed the names and signatures of all the board members that the chairman did not regard before now supporting him to do away with Dr. Sani Ibrahim.
The board members forgot that the chairman is fighting Dr. Sani as secretary of the team for his own interest and not that of the club or the board members.
If they could remember it was not the first time the club chairman was behaving that way as a few days after their inauguration where the chairman ignored them and relocated the club’s secretariat to Kano State Sports Commission.
The governor had to ask the former acting commissioner of sports; Hon. Safiyanu Kachako to summoned a meeting between the chairman and board members for a truce.
The then commissioner, based on the governor’s order, asked the chairman not to work as a sole administrator but as a democrat by carrying everybody along and work as a team.
It is on record that Governor Yusuf-led administration has initiated several reforms aimed at revolutionizing the state’s sports sector, including the rebranding of Kano Pillars; rebuilding or renovating Sani Abacha Stadium and anther plans of building four new stadia in some locations to encourage grassroots sports, among others.
Thus, within these 365 days in office, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano state has achieved a lot for Kano sports with his repositioning of the sector.
When you look at what the governor is doing in the state’s sports, everybody will agree with me that he is standing tall with his plans to massively transform and renovate sports infrastructure in the state.
Many of us are looking at the governor as the one who is moving sports forward in the state when he expressed the state government’s readiness to continue to promote all sporting activities in the state.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf ‘s giant stride recorded in sports and youth development in the state capital and beyond are highly commendable because the governor is also spending N2.9bn for secondary schools’ students NECO Examination Fees which is the highest so far as no state in the federation had near this amount.
To most of us, if Governor Yusuf continues this way, all football followers and sports lovers in the state will have no option than to give him their support which will strengthen his political fortunes in the state.
My appeal to the governor is that there is an urgent need to renovate the dilapidating and deteriorating Sani Abacha Stadium to meet the taste of time as the stadium has not undergone major repairs since its inception over two decades ago.
Bookmakers are of the view that renovating Sani Abacha Stadium should go a long way to have a digital scoreboard, functional toilets and modern dressing rooms, upgraded the VIP stands and replacing the entire artificial turf with the natural grass as presently the use of artificial turf is outdated worldwide.
Furthermore, there is a need for a functional address system for commentary, announcements, other announcements etc. All these improvements would drastically change the current negative situation of the stadium.
And will certainly changed the status of our Sani Abacha Stadium which will make the Nigerian Football Federation to continued considering it for international matches
There is also an urgent need for the reconstitution of the board of Kano State Sports Commission. In doing that people of integrity who know and study sports should be appointed to steer the commission so that it will be free from the mess it is dragging itself in.
There is also the need for some changes in the Kano Pillars Management Board so that those appointed will only see their appointment as an avenue to serve and not to make money. For sure the crisis the club is facing now is because some of them are looking at their appointment wrongly.
The new Kano Pillars management should explore other avenues to boost the club’s image and revenue to reduce its over-dependence on the government for funding.
They should do so by enhancing its marketing department, improving its recruitment policy, and seeking partnerships, collaborations, and sponsorships.
They should learn and copy how to make more money for the team from Enyimba Football Club and allow the government money for other sectors.
As my brother Dr. Nura Garba Sabon Sara suggested in one of his write-ups that, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf should occasionally visit the stadium during Kano Pillars matches to show his solidarity and support for the players, board, management, and fans. This, according to him, would strengthen the relationship between the Governor and the club.
“The management of Kano Pillars should begin preparations for the next season immediately after the current one concludes. This proactive approach will help identify the immediate needs in terms of player signings and technical crew adjustments. The team needs to recruit experienced and high-quality players to strengthen the current squad,” he added.
Dr Nura further stated that, “ the club must enhance its international visibility through an improved website and active social media presence. This will not only boost its visibility but also improve its ranking and status among African clubs.”
Allah yasa a gama lafiya, ameen.