By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Supporters Club of state-owned Kaduna United have appealed to Governor Nasir el-Rufa’I to appoint a board to oversee the activities of the team as the present chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Babayaro lacks the expertise and financial muscle to manage the club.
In a letter addressed to the governor dated July 11, 2016, the supporters said that the present management of the club lacked sincerity.
“The Kaduna United Football Club Supporters Club wish to draw the attention of His Excellency, Mal. Nasiru el-Rufa’i the Executive Governor of Kaduna State to the present condition of the State own club (Kaduna United).
“Emmanuel Babayaro is not financially sound to run the activities of a football club any where in Nigeria. Your Excellency you will agree with us that you cannot run anything viable without funds. The players and all other employees of this club are not paid a dime in terms of salaries and bonuses as such the agreement reached between the friends of football and the players were not met. But because we have the name of our state and your name as the Executive Governor of our state to protect, it is important that you take an urgent decision.
“The welfare of the players is very paramount for a team to succeed and for the development of the player to stardom. We wish to inform His Excellency that five players were accommodated in a room and their feeding money was inadequate and always very late.
“By this we call on His Excellency to employ all machinery necessary to ensure that adequate and sustainable welfare of the players are provided. Note that in all our away matches, Kaduna United was fed and transported back home by the home team i.e our opponent after noticing our financial predicament. This is not a good image to our state and our Governor,” the letter signed by Comrade Danjuma Kyaure, secretary of the club, explained.
The letter which was copied to the Kaduna State Ministry of Youth, Sport & Culture, Kaduna State Football Association and the Chairman Committee on Sport, Kaduna State House of Assembly, explained that though they believe in the leadership qualities of the governor, the decision to handover their team to Babayaro is proving to be a bad one.
“Your Excellency, we came to agree with you in most of your personal, official and council resolutions in the governance of our dear state, believing that such decisions or resolutions are progressive and as citizens of the state we are ready to support progressive resolutions no matter how painful they may be.
“Your Excellency, the decision which paved way for the emergence of Emmanuel Babayaro and Co as the Chairman and Management of our darling team (Kaduna United) is today a decision that we felt is not suitable to the system of Nigerian Football and the said Emmanuel Babayaro was not sincere in his presentation and official conduct in the running of the affairs of the club,” it added.
They appealed to the governor to take over sponsorship of the club by engaging people who can judiciously handle all the financial aspects of the club.
“We pray, that His Excellency will form a board under the Chairmanship of either Emmanuel Babayaro or any other person that is competent to discharge such responsibilities in accordance to the status of Nigeria Football Federation under the watchful eye of Kaduna State Football Association.
“And we pray that His Excellency will create time out of his busy schedules to hold meeting with the players, officials and the supporters club of Kaduna United Football Club at your convenience Sir. The said meeting will enable His Excellency see and hear more on how this club is been run,” it concluded.
