President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has pledged his support to the present administration of the Benue State Football Association, BSFA, led by the Chairman, Paul Edeh.
During a courtesy visit on the NFF Secretariat held at the Sunday Dankaro House in Abuja, the NFF President praised the State’s FA vision and dedication in developing football from the grassroots.
While expressing his admiration and confidence in the Edeh led team, Gusua expressed optimism that BSFA programmes would achieve great success through its emphasis on grassroots development and noted that it was in tandem with his board’s vision to develop the game in Nigeria, adding that the BSFA would get the full backing of the apex football body.
“I want to assure you that under my watch we shall do everything possible to support your leadership. When Hon. Icheen met me to communicate that she wass not going to contest again. I told her I don’t want to talk about that now, that she should give me a little time to think about it. But later, Barrister Edeh told me his intention to contest for the Benue FA Chairman. It was then i felt a little bit relieved, because the whole essence is to get people that are interested and committed to the game of football to lead, because if we don’t have people that are interested and committed into positions of leadership and give them authority, we’re deceiving ourselves. God in his own wisdom will see us through to make sure we achieve our goals as FA chairman and NFF president respectively”. He said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the BSFA and President, Ratels Sports Development Foundation, RSDF Paul Edeh, while affirming his enduring passion for Sports within and outside the State, said the reason for the visit was to interact with the first citizen of football in Nigeria, understand his vision for football in order to ensure that the programmes designed by the current board of the BSFA are not at variance with that of the NFF board aimed at achieving the most desirable possible ways of grassroots football development.
Edeh, while also thanking the NFF President for granting his board audience within a short notice, appealed to the NFF President to assist the State FA utilize her football facilities for their original purposes, adding that Benue State had made tremendous contributions to football in Nigeria but current infrastructural deficit if not urgently addressed would ebb the culture of football in the State and by extension, the country.
“As a board we decided not to run our administration without first consulting and understanding what the vision of the president is regarding the growth of football at the FA level. So we’re here to hear what your visions are so that when we run along with it, we’ll be running in line with your vision and accomplish it head-on”
The event also saw the presence of other notable figures, including NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and NFF Board members Mrs. Margaret Icheen and Alhaji Sharif Rabi’u Inuwa popularly known as “Ahlan”
