Unjust Treatment Of Supporters Club By Government

By Tolu Atobatele

Football supporters club in Nigeria is a private entity thriving on its own before being hijacked by both the National Sports Commission, NSC and Nigeria Football Federation, NFF under the pretense of unifying the groups, and thereafter subjects the club to unjust treatment via lack of financial support and poor allocation of slots.

The club has been the twelveth player for the country various national teams over the years with presence at every major continental or international sporting events (especially football) involving Nigeria at any level without being supported by government or the FA rather, they source funds from private sectors and make voluntary donations to keep the club going and attend every function, sports-wise.

These people were doing brilliantly well individually save the difference in their performance at match venues anytime the national team play which form the basis of NSC and NFF to wade in and compel the groups to merge into a unit with a promise of seeing to their needs through providing financial support and making available other materials for effective and seamless operation of the club.

The supporters club find it extremely difficult to move their members in large numbers to match venues outside of the country due to a very poor logistical arrangements and low rate of slots alloted to them by National Sports Commission thus, making it worrisome to some of us who have been following and motoring the activities of supporters club up close these past years.

If the National Sports Commission, NSC headed by Mallam Shehu Dikko and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, headed by Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau don’t see the need to support the supporters club with funds and allocate to them large numbers of slots to accommodate their members in numbers on chattered flights for national assignments outside the shores of the country then, they should allow the supporters club to disperse back to their various factional groups to continue managing their affairs as they have been doing in the past.

The supporters club were not present at the Free State stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa this past Tuesday September 9 when the Super Eagles confronted Bafana Bafana in a 2026 world cup qualifier that means a lot to our qualification to the world cup unlike in Uyo where a horde of their members were fully on ground to provide support for the team (Super Eagles) against the Wasps of Rwanda.

It is saddening when supporters club are treated dismally with no recognition from government and those in authority and this is a group of people that navigate every minefield to cross borders and ensure Super Eagles and other tiers of our national teams get the needed support in a bid to put smiles on the faces of over two hundred million Nigerians. They spend from their hard-earned money, time, energy and other resources to contribute their quota to football yet no compensation or appreciation whatsoever from government.

It is unacceptable not to recognize the effort, value and contributions of supporters club to the growth and development of football and other sports in the country. The time has come to appreciate their good work, support them by making funds available to them to assist in their logistics and make the environment conducive.

The National Sports Commission and Nigeria Football Federation must have a rethink on their decision to collapse the individual structures of the supporters club into a unit as lack of support for the supporters club derail their activities.