Igbokwe Wants Football Stakeholders Meeting

The proprietor of Bussdor United FC of Port Harcourt, Oscar Igbokwe, has urged the Minister of Sports, Alhaji Isa Bio, to convene a meeting of private sponsors of football clubs in the country.

Igbokwe told sportswriters on Saturday in Port Harcourt that he had written to the minister for an urgent action on the state of the nation’s football.

“There is an urgent need for a meeting of all stakeholders of football in the country now to discuss the way forward for Nigerian football.

“We the private sponsors of football clubs in the country will be in a better position to tell the minister the truth about the state of the country’s football.

“Some members of the board of the football federation might be afraid to say the truth,’’ he said.

Igbokwe, whose club plays in the Pro-league Division One, said some members of the football federation had no business being there because they had not contributed to the game’s development.

“Most of the members have no jobs and only depend on the federation for everything.

“Football in Nigeria will not move forward if private sponsors of clubs are not involved in decision making.

“It has become important to summon a meeting between the minister and stakeholders to find the way forward.

“If affairs of our football are left in the hands of a few people, nothing will happen and we will back to square one,’’ he said.

Igbokwe said that having sponsored a club for 10 years, he had contributed in many ways to assist the Imo State Football Association, especially in attracting fans to watch pro-league matches.

He added that he had also help in the sponsorship of Challenge Cup finals for three years in the state.

“This is a challenge for all stakeholders in Nigerian football to make amends and move the game forward.

“It is now left for the minister to use this opportunity to call such stakeholders to rub minds and find solutions to our football problems,’’ Igbokwe said.