All-stars Football Club who are mostly ex-International as well as CAF Champions League Winning Coach,Kadiri Ikhana (MON) and other major stakeholders have asked governments at all levels in Nigeria to provide legal frame-work to move football forward in the country.
The stakeholders made the call at a forum organized by Abeokuta All-stars Club in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Saturday as part of activities marking the Diamond anniversary of Nigeria to chart way forward for football in the country.
Coach Kadiri Ikhana (MON) who was part of the heroic 1980 African Nations Cups Green Eagles squad and broke jinx with Enyimba International of Aba winning Confederation of Africa (CAF) Champions League in 2003, insisted football stakeholders in Abeokuta should be bold enough to take the initiative of taking over the running of Gateway United Football Club of Abeokuta from the Ogun State Government.
Football according to him, "can only thrive ,if the Community take up the responsibility of running football club and not waiting for government to run club putting people who don't have interest in football to run football in the state and Nigeria at large."
The All-stars Club's President, Alhaji Waheed Lawal, former General Manager of Gateway United Football Club, Chief Tony Rafua , Chairman of Gateway United Supporters Club, Alhaja Kudirat Oyindamola Odebiyi and other stakeholders called on the State Government to initiate legal frame-work to protect Investment of individuals and corporate bodies in football and sports in the country.
They also called for involvement of those who understand football to run the game, not those who are only interested in financial gain .
Alhaji Waheed Lawal also emphasised the need for Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide #50million grant to each of the football clubs in Nigeria, and monitor the Investment to ensure return on it.
His words"Football can be used as tools to revamp the economy, if the the game is seen as a serious business and not mere Public Relations tool for government"
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