Nobody was surprised with the announcement of the appointment of the new management board for Kano Pillars Football Club by the government last Sunday 28th July 2024.
That was because of the unending crisis the former management engulfed itself. It was one thing today and another thing tomorrow.
And that was why many people, if not all were happy, celebrated and welcomed the dissolution of the Babangida Little’s management board and also welcomed the appointment of the new board by the government.
It was Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the spokesperson of the Kano State Governor, who unfolded Ali Muhammad Umar (Nayara Mai Samba) as the new Chairman of Kano Pillars FC.
Mai Samba, one of the only surviving member of the last board is to work with Salisu Kosawa (Honorary Member), Yusuf Danladi (Andy Cole), Nasiru Bello, Muhammad Ibrahim (Hassan West), Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Danjuma Gwarzo as Board Members
Other board members are Mustapha Usman Darma, Umar Dankura, Ahmad Musbahu , Rabiu Abdullahi, Abubakar Isah, Dandago Yamalash (Media Director), Ismail Abba Tangalash (Deputy Media Director) and Engr. Usman Kofar Naisa.
The new board according to Dawakin Tofa will only serve for an interim period of one year, with the potential for renewal based on the team’s performance in the upcoming seasons.
“The governor expressed confidence that the new board will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to manage and oversee the affairs of Kano Pillars FC”,Dawakin Tofa added.
I will start by congratulating Ali Mai Samba and his team for this appointment and also wished him the very best of luck.
What I certainly know is that Mai Samba, the new chairman has the experience to tatake Kano Pillars to the peak of Nigerian soccer but if he only acts as expected.
All I know is that Ali Nayara Mai Samba can succeed and make Pillars the best in the Nigerian league if he wants to succeed.
I am happy he was a member of the previous board and knows exactly what led to its failure. I am sure he will avoid repeating those mistakes that led to their waterloo.
But it is a pity he is leading yet another Interim Management Committee but yet to be inaugurated.
The new leaders must not follow the style and passion of the sacked board but work as a team and move Kano Pillars forward.
Mai Samba needs to know the league is a few weeks away therefore; he and his new committee members need to put themselves together and face the task before them.
Even though I am not aware about the quality and experience of those appointed in the new board, I was told that the new Kano Pillars management committee is full of people of wisdom, interest in sports, interest in the team.
With this development I want Ali Nayara Mai Samba to be honest, open and transparent to all his board members and make sure he carries all of them along.
Mai Samba and his board must work and make Kano Pillars a force to reckon with in Nigerian soccer. They should work together and win the Premier League trophy again and also win the President Cup.
We all know that Ali Nayara Mai Samba is a sports loving individual as he is the chairman and sole financer of Samba United Football Club, Kurna Asabe must unite Engr. Usman Kofar Na’isa another surviving member of the previous board and other members to do the task..
If they did what is expected one must be at rest assured that Kano Pillars, will God willing come win or make surprises in the premier league.
To triumph, Ali Nayara Mai Samba should not see himself as a boss or on a mission to get rich quick but as a leader who must listen to all his committee members and work with them to make Pillars strong in Nigeria’s football..
Mai Samba should not see himself as superior to other members but see them all as friends and colleagues whose task is to win all their matches and get Kano Pillars back to its big time football team.
The other members too must be focused and cooperate with the chairman and work hard to remove Kano Pillars out of the mess its past leaders have put the team in.
The new committee should also work to block all the leakages of Kano Pillars finances which is making the team bankrupt and always run to the government for funds. This will reduce the team’s overdependence on government money.
The committee should also be vigilant in buying and selling of players, because there are a lot of discrepancies which some of the past officials used to defraud and mismanage the club’s finances.
It might interest all that the first player sold and transferred abroad from Kano Pillars FC was Yahaya Gaku to Al-Shabbah of Saudi Arabia in 1992 at the whooping amount of $50,000:00, the amount was said to be paid directly to the Kano State Government coffers which equally improve the state’s IGR (Internal Generate Revenue).
The Mai Samba led committee must stop getting players on loan from agents, academies or other teams with immediate effect because I see that as a good way of defrauding the team of a lot of money. Because it is the agents, academies or teams that benefited most leaving the team (Kano Pillars) with nothing.
Ali Nayara Mai Samba led committee must know that selling of Kano Pillars players locally or internationally too must be transparent and sanitized. The money realized from the sales whether Naira or Dollars must be accrued to government coppers, the sole owner and financier of the team.
AliNayara Mai Samba and his team must know that the era of selling Kano Pillars player(s) and pocketing the outcome of the sales is over.
Mai Samba and his team must know that the same government that is spending money on the team, must also start getting something from the team.
And this can only be possible if the new management does the right thing by buying and selling its players appropriately.
I pray for your success, ameen.
