It is no more news that the Nigeria Premier Football League returnee, Kano Pillars football Club is in a serious financial crisis.
And this is not due to its owner, the Kano State Government failure to adequately supply the needed funds to the club but it is due to the new management’s failure to follow due process to get what they needed to run the team.
If one is a regular reader or follower of my write ups or stories, one will remember how I narrated and thoroughly discussed Kano Pillars FC financial misfortunes and the negative consequences it is posing to the team.
I remember discussing how Kano Pillars were whirling into a financial crisis even though the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is only a few days to its kick-off.
Thank God the kick-off of the league have been shifted to the next month
I revealed how the newly appointed management of the club was going ups and down looking for the needed money to run the team but up to last week when the team travelled to Bauchi for Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season tournament nothing was released to them, a situation that forced them to continuously borrow to run the team.
The team was said to be submitting all its series of financial requests to the government through the office of the Secretary to the Government of Kano State but nothing positive came out of it as nothing was released to the team.
I told my readers that the club had to borrow in order to honor its NNL Super Eight trip in Asaba, Delta state.
Lack of funds, I disclosed, was the reason why the club failed to take part in the pre-season tournament in Ijebu-Ode some weeks ago.
I also unfolded how paucity of funds prevented the management of Kano Pillars to even provide training kits like canvas, bags, jerseys, balls etc to the players and their coaches. Even the balls that the club is using presently in their training are all not good enough for the team.
I revealed that the much awaited renovation of the Sani Abacha Stadium, the stadium which Kano Pillars planned to use for their home matches has not been started even though the government had been notified about the stadium’s poor state.
And I warned that unless the stadium is put in order before the NFF team of inspectors arrive, the possibility of Kano Pillars FC to play their home matches in Kano is zero.
I also warned that playing its home matches in another venue other than the Sani Abacha Stadium was the same situation that led to the relegation of Kano Pillars FC from Nigeria Premier Football League to the NNL some years ago.
I reported that the Babangida Little led management was in serious trouble as the dearth of funds persist and is sabotaging them to put in place a formidable team that will conquer other teams in the forthcoming league.
We all know that it is lack of funds that has prevented the team from redeeming some of the promises to the new players and coaches it signed some days or weeks ago which is making some of the newly signed players start thinking of changing their mind for another team.
While I and many others are showing our concerned and sympathy on the sorry state Kano Pillars FC have found itself, I came across a paper clip of the Special Adviser on Youth and Sports Development to the Kano State Governor, Yusuf Shu’aibu Imam (Ogan Boye) in the Social Media claiming to know nothing about Kano Pillars Football Club.
He openly out of annoyance stated on the paper that up to now he has not seen anybody or anything from Kano Pillars FC or their management.
Honestly, this is a sad development, and to me, is one of the disadvantages of appointing people into positions with little or no knowledge of governance.
I see no reason why Kano Pillars management will be bypassing the SA on Sports or his office and submitting their requests to the SSG’s office directly.
They ought to know that the SSG’s office is never and will never be the right place for the Kano Pillars FC’s request.
It is a high-ranking appointed executive branch official whose main responsibility is to assist the government achieve its vision and objectives through the provision of advice and guidance.
In addition, the Secretary to the State Government handles policy-making and oversees the implementation of decisions, policies and programmes as well as the operations of government ministries, agencies and parastatals.
The SSG’s office is also in charge of its subsidiaries including the State Executive Council Secretariat, the General Administration Office, the State Directorate of Volunteer Services (DVS), the Speech Writing Unit and the state office of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
Therefore, I see no reason why the management of Kano Pillars should be ignoring the SA by going directly to the SSG for its requests.
They should without delay go and redirect all their requests to the right person or channel which is the SA’s office. They should remove whatever they have in mind and improve their relationship with the SA.
They should without delay meet the SA and forward all for their cash demand and other logistics to him and this should be done in earnest to remove Kano Pillars FC out of its perpetual cash shortage.
I am happy the SA has stated in the paper that he is ready for them and is ready to do all within his power to assist the team out of its financial predicaments.
I am also pleased that last Monday evening, it was reported that the chairman of the club visited the SA.
The SA should please forgive them and work with them in the interest of the state.
Lastly, I am appealing to the government to always organize a workshop or retreat for new heads of government agencies especially those that were not or have no experience in governance.
This will no doubt forestall these kinds of bureaucratic bottlenecks and any other unforeseen problem.