By Bolaji Okunola
The founder of Mailantarki Care FC, Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki has expressed dissatisfaction over comment made by erstwhile Gombe United General Manager and now coordinator of U-20 national team, Abubakar Abubakar during an interview session on Amana Radio, Gombe state.
It was gathered, Abubakar, on April 18, granted the interview in response of internal issues involving Mailantarki Care FC and Doma United. During the session, he also accused Mailantarki of tendering a petition, which resulted to the omission of Gombe born defender, Haruna Aliyu in the final list of Under-20 national team bracing for the forthcoming African Youth Championship in Egypt.
The football administrator via his media director, Adamu Usman Ahmed, described the statement a defamation capable of undermining the remarkable efforts of Hon Khamisu Mailantarki in football development in Gombe State and Nigeria football in general.
Usman Ahmed, in his rejoinder to address the accusation, urged the public to snubbed Abubakar’s comment while tagging it a slanderous attempt.
The rejoinder reads: “Abubakar blatantly tabled false statements during the radio interview on an internal issue concerning Mailantarki Care FC and Doma United and the player Haruna Aliyu. As a matter of fact, he’s not worthy to talk about both clubs for he’s never an official of any neither was he a representative of the player in question (Haruna Aliyu) nor a spokesperson of the Under-20 national team.
“We frowned at his desperation to attack our club president’s effort on football development and progress in Gombe State and Nigeria at large by directly linking the exclusion of Gombe-born defender in the final list of the Flying Eagles ahead of the upcoming 2025 AFCON”
“To set the record straight, Hon Khamisu Mailantarki’s effort to elevate/promote Gombe State indigenes to the highest level of their respective football career still intact. He ensured an agreement was reached between the two clubs in his bid to secure the services of the player (Haruna Aliyu) who further facilitated his invitation for a trial and consequently amazed technical crew of the then U-20 National team ahead of the 13th African Games under coach Ladan Bosso.”