NFF Did Not Give Supporters Clubs 7-Day Ultimatum To Unite, Says Ikpea
By Akeem Busari
The National Chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) Rev. (Amb) Samuel Ikpea, has debunked a media publication stating that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has given all the Supporters Club in the country a 7-Day ultimatum to unite.
Ikpea, who recently returned from Abuja where he attended the Thursday meeting which was conveyed by the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, addressed newsmen at the National Secretariat of the club on Saturday in Lagos, where he described the publication as ‘sponsored media’ story that lacked credence and making the sponsors to make the media unprofessional.
“I was shocked when I saw the story with the headline saying that the NFF had given all the supporters club in the country 7-days to come together” Ikpea started.
“But that is not true. It is so sad that a professional journalist can descend so low to publish what was not real because no one gave us that ultimatum”.
“The NFF through her communication department did not issue any statement to show that they gave such ultimatum, nor did they give any press briefing afterwards on that. So how did the author of that story reach that conclusion, if not being mischievous and unprofessional ?”
“It is true that the NFF invited us to address the issue and sought our views on the possibility of working towards uniting peacefully as one body. But there was no clearly defined and realistic framework to achieve that even though we all wanted unity.
“As the National Chairman, I represented the Nigeria Football Supporters Club in that meeting, but when issue of having one United Supporters club which will make all existing supporters club go into extinction came up, others agreed to it but it will be difficult for me to make that decision right there.
“Remember, NFSC is a club that have existed for 70 years, and with chapters within and in diaspora. We will be marking our 70th anniversary this year. I cannot sit down there and agree to that decision, that the NFSC be scrapped up, so I said I have to get back to our Board of Trustees, Council of elders and executive so we can all make a decision.
“The representatives of the other supporters clubs present, agreed immediately. And that is because they are sole owners ans founders of their respective supporters club, and are the decision-makers as well. And you can’t them compared to a properly structured organised NFSC, that is 70 years old. There is a very big difference.
“ Bar Oby who was made to head a 3- man committee set-up to discuss with the supporters group on the coming together, saw the situation and advised that all the supporters clubs go back and meet their members on the new development and discuss modalities on how this can be achieved. And that was all that happened.
“The conveners of the meeting further stated that they will invite us back in one week time so they can hear from all the supporters clubs on whatever resolution we have reached. So I am surprised reading that junk saying the NFF gave us 7-days ultimatum to unite as one”.
On the issue of Nigeria Football Supporters Club delegation paying a visit to the NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, after the meeting with the NFF in Abuja, Ikpea said again that the author of that story misrepresented fact.
“I was not aware that they were going to see Dikko, after the meeting they asked us to wait for refreshments, and I left for other things. But I read of the visit to Dikko.
“Interestingly, Dikko gave them a very nice advice that being united is good and that they should try and see how it can work. But the reality is that, it will be very difficult because they all have very different philosophies about the supporters club and that is where the real issue is” Ikpea concluded.
