Renowned sports activist and national coordinator of Friends of Nigeria Sports (FNS), Chief Diprieye Thompson, have described the planned unification of the several football supporters club in Nigeria as ‘dead on arrival’.
He was particularly miffed about the lack of transparency by the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation, who set up a reconciliation committee aimed at bringing the different groups together, under one umbrella with the composition of the Interim Management Committee.
The IMC led by Vincent Okumagba is expected to lead for one year and with the substantive elections slated for next year.
Recent happenstances have prompted Chief Thompson to denounce the intention of the NFF to bring the groups together, as it now seems to be ill-intentioned.
“I am still confused on how the NFF intend to make all these registered groups to shed their status and existence in the name of reconciliation.
“Nigerians can recall how the foremost football fans group, the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, was infiltrated by a former Nigeria football administrator who in all his powers encouraged some members of the NFSC, to flout rules and regulations of the group that obviously led to their expulsions.
“Again, we need to ask Okumagba why members of his dissident groups deserted him to go ahead to form their own groups?
“Now, this same fellow, who has been ousted by his own group is working under the table to undermine the agenda of the NFF, that set up the IMC.”
“No genuine and legally registered group with a well-structured and administrative leadership would jettison that for anything.
“Let the groups retain their status and leadership. They can only come together, whenever there’s a national assignment as a united body and of course, in the same attire,” Chief Thompson advised.