By By Victor Enyinnaya on July 25, 2022

This is the third time Rivers State related write ups will adore this very revered weekly column in your widely read and followed Daily Sports online portal, all for the best reasons.

For the records, the column has been here for the past ten (10) years of existence of this soar away all sports online portal.  It has on the course of thorough and unbiased analysis received kudos and knocks alike.

Such reactions and counter reactions have helped in no small measure to reshape and redefine this critical every Monday column in Daily Sports Nigeria (www.dailysportsng.com). Note that both the newspaper and its other contents strictly adhere to the tenets of journalism profession based on best global practices.

Nobody influences what is published everyday.  The content goes through intensive editorial scrutiny by seasoned and tested Editors. In short, we treat and give stories or analysis equal status based on merit. Therefore another appearance of this football Club is highly in line.

Let me place on record also that Rivers United FC is the current Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the team by that feat, the Port Harcourt based football side would not be written without Wike’s strong will for novel ideas.  It is not a hidden fact he likes getting things done excellently.

Remember that when it gets to the crunches, Governor Nysom Ezenwo Wike is always relied upon to get it perfectly done. Little wonder therefore his middle name is Mr. Project, a daring transformer extra-ordinary.  A reliable asset and confidant in any circle he finds himself. Foremost, he never betrays.

He fights for others. However, all keen watchers and followers of Rivers United FC can even off hand tell how the current NPFL 2021/2022 came into being.

This write up won’t border you dear readers with all that because it has been over flogged in public domain. The central figure in the success story is Governor Nysom Ezenwo Wike CON, GSSRS, POS Africa as central visionary.

We can also vividly recall how the team was merged together which brought up today’s Rivers United FC that stoutly played herself into reckoning.  The Governor Wike lads forced themselves into the top and solid bracket of NPFL big boys.

Some of us saw it coming and it really came to pass in no long distance space of time, not however, without total support of Governor Wike led government. The technical crew led by veteran of many football battles, Stanley Eguma who not only rallied round but also ensured cohesion in the team to produce the pulsating result present before us.    

Now the task before the management, technical crew and the players are enormous because CAF Champions League is not for push overs. This is the competition where the best teams and players in Africa trade tackles. It is not for the lily livered either. For Rivers United FC to make vivid headway in this championship would mean more than wishful thinking.

Truth is that only the teams which prepared to the teeth in every sense of the word withstand the intensive heat from the first leg in the preliminary stage to the final stage. This is one championship Rivers United FC must get into in full swing. No half measures.

This columnist has earlier said that one of the best things that happened for Rivers State and especially Rivers United FC campaign in this year’s CAF Champs League remains the appointment of Barrister Chris Green as Commissioner of Sports. Green as I did say is well grounded in administration and politics of the game. The team I insist is in good hands with Green.

The next step would be to ensure weaker departments in the team are fortified adequately with one stop players. Once that is done the team will be ready to go.

To be honest with you Governor Nysom Ezenwo Wike has encouraged the team and in his real characteristic of doing things recently rewarded the team and officials with mouth watering packages where each player got Governor Medal Service Award, two weeks pre-season training tour in Madrid, $20,000 (12 million) for each player and promised the team double of the amount if they make it to the group stage of the continental Club top flight football championship.

You can easily deduce the kind of fighting and focus spirit Governor Wike has instilled into the team already. You cannot beat the never say die spirit of this sports friendly chief security officer of the State has bloomed into the boys, well ahead the gigantic CAF Champions League. Head or tail it is the best way to go and you cannot beat Governor Wike’s proactiveness in anything competition.    

This Governor Wike’s exemplary steps are already catching up like wild fire in the nook and crannies of the entire State as Chairman of Tai Local Government, Hon. Okpe Mkpagbone lauding Governor Wike over sports promotion and development in the State thereby fully engaging the teeming youths and young ones, adding that all the local governments in the State have henceforth embraced this Governor’s sports revolution.

To that effect, and in his patriotic zeal for sports in the country; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, recently advised the Federal Government to remove political considerations from sports if it desires to make the best of the abundant talents in the country.

Stating pointedly, he said political interference in sports would always affect the advancement of the sector, adding that the sector should be led by only seasoned administrators to man the sector professionally and that has been my long standing view too.

Governor Wike further explained that, the random selection of persons to satisfy quota consideration has frustrated the growth of sports on an enduring scale.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, Wike, declared the above obvious points at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, during the last game of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match between Rivers United and Gombe United FC, said: “Let us remove politics from sports.  Let’s go for the best. NFF, the Super Eagles, Super Falcons, we must do things based on merit, getting those who are qualified to man the sensitive positions for our sports to go forward.

 “I want to tell Nigerians to know that sports should go beyond politics. Sports should not be confined to the political arena. We should allow people who have the talents; we should allow people who have the capacity to develop sports in Nigeria on board.”

Governor Wike expressed delight over Rivers United F.C. victory as champions of the Nigeria Professional Football League, (NPFL) affirming that putting a winning team together required firm leadership.

“When I came on board in 2015, we had Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt and also Eagle Cement Football Club. I said, this is one state and for now (then), it is important to put our talents together so we will have a formidable team.

“It was not easy to achieve that and we didn’t expect it to be easy that way. But we thank God today that all our efforts have been fruitful in seeing that we have won the Nigerian League.

“So, leadership is key in everything you’re doing and if you don’t have that leadership, it would not have been possible for us.”

He promised to support Rivers United’s campaign in the CAF Champions League, saying that his administration has done the best it can for sports development in the state.

Also speaking at the event, Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, said it is exciting for him to witness the emergence of Rivers United as champions of the Nigerian League.

“I think what is happening today is exciting for me. 20 games and 10 clubs playing their final game and we are here to watch Rivers United being crowned the leader of the premier league. I think it is exciting,” he said.

All the above from the Governor can safely be likened to QED in mathematics. Without much ado, Governor Wike knows what he is dwelling into; he does not talk with both sides of his mouth and does not have time for frivolities.

We will continue to advise that if Rivers United FC put her house in order well ahead as the Governor has done his part in advance to ginger the team for the uphill task ahead.

We thumb up Governor’s forbearance in all spheres for the sake of the people of his Rivers State ever since he ventured into governance and brought enough to the table for Rivers State and her people.  Congratulations first to the Governor and then to the technical crew and players for job Weldone.

We will as usual keep our fingers crossed and clap where necessary. Keep shooting hard till next week. Meanwhile, we Wait!!

Source Daily Sports Nigeria

Posted July 25, 2022

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