Shehu Dikko: Face-to-face with the man who breathed life into the Nigeria Professional Football League News

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Shehu Dikko: Face-to-face with the man who breathed life into the Nigeria Professional Football League

By Daily Sports on January 18, 2016

Close followers of the admirable Alhaji Shehu Dikko will readily agree with this reporter that he rides on the wings of nostalgia.

I first met Dikko on the pages of newspapers a couple of years ago. After reading his several contributions and some interviews he granted, I longed for him one on one. Personable. Elegant. Sure-footed. Meticulous, intelligent brilliant, and not given to frivolity, Dikko is a cocktail of a total man. I longed to have handshake and talk with him. Then, as fate would have it, I met the administrator par excellence last year at a football event at the very prestigious Lagos Business School Ajah. To say the very least, his antecedents in the game before now remain testimonial.

Dikko chaired the session for the Day One of the programme and delivered another stunning performance. The distinguished audience gave him a standing ovation thereafter. When I went over to congratulate him, I was surprised at his humility. Pronto, we chatted like two long-lost friends. That was where Dikko and I promised to be exchanging fresh ideas for the good of the game for our dear country Nigeria.

You can imagine my joy when he became the Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), enabling him to serve his fatherland in the mainstream of the round leather sport. The appointment required him to bring his expertise into reviving Nigeria’s almost dead Professional Football League.

Let me confess that Dikko’s profile matches the job, and so does his mien.

Prior to coming to boss the LMC, he had held other positions in the game, therefore lending credence to the course of his part time in the nation’s football family.

So, it was a big deal for Shehu Dikko to come on board to put on display what he had done at other times. He went about it meticulously and courageously, not minding – excuse this cliché – whose ox is gored. He began by cleaning the system, and showing deep guts. The deadwoods were shown the exit door. Proactiveness has taken hold. In doing that, he stepped on very big toes.

For some people, hard work, competence and efficiency are a problem. As LMC boss, Dikko exhibits these. His carriage, gorgeousness and brilliance intimidate some. To some people, “he is but a Nigerian man operating in a deformed environment, who must then be conquered.”

At LMC, Dikko’s very serious work ethics could become his undoing. He would not compromise standards.

A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Shehu Dikko is a disarmingly unassuming administrator that comes to your level in order to ensure he passes vital information to you.

This write-up is strictly inspired by the transparency and transformation that engulfed the Nigeria Professional Football League last season where all and sundry have acknowledged and thumbed up Dikko and his men for a job well done.

Dikko has inspired back the spirit of competitiveness into the league. The future is here now and Dikko as the boss of LMC and second Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, drawing from his reservoir of knowledge and experience to create a spectacular act that gladdens the hearts of millions of football fans across the nation. Glo NPFL has new and committed devotees.

This is vintage the man and his way of achieving results. But the best is yet to come from Dikko.

A word for those planning to grill him for the wrongs he is vehemently insisting on righting which afflicted the growth of our League these odd years. He has been going around popularising our League. NPFL got some far-reaching recognition under his watch. Many keen observers and even bookmakers are watching his amazing strides within this short period open-mouthed, too confused and to say anything coherent. After Dikko’s performance, everybody would become cautious.

No wonder, past and serving administrators have been effusive in their commendation of Dikko’s scorecard in the out-gone season. It is the guess of Sports Pulse that Dikko’s dream is be to manage and lead a large and diverse team responsible for managing multi-billion U$D League in assets. His top priority, among others, will be to build and maintain the global reputation as a prudent and innovative Africa’s most sought-after football league, where there will be return on investment and players grabbing it with a bang like we are witnessing in other well rooted leagues today.

For the records, there are many Shehu Dikkos here! But they are destroyed by their countrymen and women as soon as they start shining. We derive joy in pulling down our compatriots, thus, running down our country before the world. Dikko must not be the Biblical prophet not recognised at home, but worshipped abroad. No response of his first season posting could have been sweeter for his resentful critics than this very endorsement by all and sundry. It is an unequivocal approval on his competence. Salute to the giant!!

•Enyinnaya can be reached via 08055068145 (sms only) or by e-mail via sportzvictor@yahoo.com.au

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 18, 2016