By Godwin Bamigboye.
Each time I am discussing the state of Football in Nigeria, I would have preferred using the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to using Ibrahim Musa Gusau. However, in the interim, tolerate my position as it is. I could see a man that has mounted the saddle of Football leadership in Nigeria and as the saying goes, I am beginning to see practical manifestation of “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”. I guess that Ibrahim Musa Gusau’s physical appearance may soon transform from that of a clean shave face to grey looking hair on his head, moustache and beards. There are loads of challenges associated with Football in Nigeria and it takes a man and his team with capacity and competence to proffer solutions to the challenges. That’s why in my previous write up, I made it clear that the present Board of the Nigeria Football Federation must be selfless, innovative, decisive and resolute if they will succeed in the administration of Football in Nigeria.
The challenges are still here with us and less than a month in office, a lot is expected from Ibrahim Musa Gusau and his team. It’s really too early to assess the leadership of the NFF. However, I commend them for the initial steps so far especially the meeting of the NFF President with Club Owners, meeting with the staff of the various Leagues (NPFL, NNL, NLO, NWFL) and the Board’s inaugural meeting and visit to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development. The Three Man Committee headed by Alhaji Kurfi Balele and the inauguration of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) for the Premier League which I believe may not have been inaugurated before this write up was published.
I want to make it abundantly clear that whichever way or method we choose to solve our accumulated problems, it must be done strategically.
Ibrahim Musa Gusau and his team must face the leadership test they are going through now. Three areas they must pay attention to. They are their Capacity and competencies in General Administration which encompasses a lot of things. The second which is still part of exhibiting administrative capacity is Crisis Management. I hope they remember that there are agitations and disputes that need to be attended to expeditiously. There is the need for peace and conflict resolution.
The third issue is human resources management and relations management.
The summary is that all these challenges could be surmounted with competent management of Human and Material Resources.
Finally, our constructive criticisms as Administrators is very important. Attached to these criticisms should be viable or better alternatives to the action that may have been taken. This effort will help to change the negative Football Narratives to positive. If the Administrators outside the decision making circle don’t play their roles, we are definitely running in another vicious circle of Failures and Regrets. The challenges are enormous. Let us join hands to surmount them.