To develop football in Nasarawa State, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Isaac Danladi, has solicited the assistance of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Danladi, who led a six-man delegation to the office of the NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, said the visit was to familiarise and network ways both organisations can mutually benefit from each other.
The Permanent Secretary noted that since Gusau assumed office as President of the NFF, the Nasarawa State Sports Ministry have not come to pay a congratulatory visit, even though it’s better late than never.
“Though you have only been in office for a few months, you have been able to turn Nigerian football around and this is due to your deep understanding of the game, your commitment, achievements in public service and passion for grassroots football development,” Danladi said.
“Also, we are here to thank you for saving the face of football in Nasarawa State by taking the bull by the horns to restore sanity by inaugurating the Normalisation Committee to pilot the affairs of football for three months, organise Local Council and State elections.”
“I am pleased to inform you that the Committee has hit the ground running and very soon, they will be interfacing with you while we accord them the necessary support as a Government. Additionally, we are here to seek mutually beneficial synergy with the NFF in the area of Grassroots Football Development, an area you are so vast in,” Danladi added.
“We want to humbly request that you carry us along so that we can also make our mark as you are doing already. Finally, earlier today, I accompanied you to the opening ceremony of a Referees’ Course held at the National Stadium where I discovered that only one participant came from Nasarawa State.”
“Even though I don’t know what the modalities are, but, I want to kindly request that you use your capacity to increase the slots for Nasarawa State now or in subsequent programs,” Danladi concluded.
The Permanent Secretary appreciated the NFF President for the attention granted to the delegation and promised to protect the relationship going forward.
Responding, the NFF President applauded the team for the visit.
“I am so happy that you have been appointed as Permanent Secretary and posted to familiar terrain. We know who you are. It was pure wisdom from the Governor to take this decision,” Gusau said. “I know you are going to bring a lot of changes in the area of youth and sports in your State.”
“As for us, we will continue to do our best to see how we can support you in whatever program you come up with, especially in the area of grassroots football, because that’s what constitutes what we do here.”
“Let me assure you that our doors are always open for support. What we did in Nasarawa State was the interest of football in the State, though some people have been reading meanings to it. But we don’t look at it from that angle.”
“There are 36 States in Nigeria and FCT Abuja, we can’t treat one State well and do otherwise to another. We want everybody to be given a level playing ground to exercise their rights in the round leather game.”
“We intend to ensure that the right things are done and at the right time, too. We also want the best candidates and those who are generally accepted by the people for the task to emerge,” Gusau added.
“Sport is different from other disciplines. You must have interest and passion first before you drive sports because it’s a physical endeavour. The Committee members who are from Nasarawa State have a very short duration and terms of reference, too, to administer football in the State.
“On the aspect of the Referees, I think you have to encourage your Referee Council to begin to recruit raw and young talents and begin to develop them. We can not be spending resources on overaged talents who cannot represent us anywhere,” Gusau concluded.
The delegation also used the visit to identify with the Secretary-General of the NFF, Muhammad Sanusi where he wished the Permanent Secretary well in his new endeavour.
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