By Daily Sports on August 8, 2016

Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), no doubt has paid its dues in the round leather game devotee. Honestly, it adds colour and pronto, got instant recognition and award from FIFA.

The Non-Governmental Organisation meant so many different things to different people. For instance, when very flamboyant Ondo High Chief, Alex Akinyele was of the saddle in the Sports Ministry, he often described the outfit as association of clowns and clappers.

He did not hide his discontent in the NFSC due to their behaviour and especially its composition. He managed to let go but distant himself from them.

I won’t border you dear readers on the history of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club as this write up would limit itself to the recent the event of Saturday, July 16, 2016 and then unveil the transformation it has witnessed since very suave, articulate and seasoned administrator, Prince Vincent Okumagba assumed office.

For the records, He has been prominent member of the Club for over 20 years, where he held the position of first Vice Chairman before now. He is the owner of Pixal Petroleum Company Limited, Lagos. He came from a very rich background little wonder therefore he is a worthy manager of men, material and money. He knows his destination as no one can toil him around for nothingness. In short, he is from the legendary Okumagba density of Warri, Delta State. He is dogged and widely traveled fellow.

He was class of 1996 at the University of Lagos. Let me emphatically confess that it won’t be out of place to re-emphasis here that he is a seasoned administrator, reputed for due process spiced with his prudent managerial acumen via systematic practices and steadfastness.

Let me confess that the writer would strictly peg this presentation on the business mogul based on absolute fairness so that at the end of the day, dear readers will fully grab the crux of the matter why a tiny set have been fighting tooth and nail for the past four years or more to unseat him from office and illegally enthrone its usual puppet without any recourse to the tenets of democracy which derives its strength from the sanctity of the constitution.

To be honest with you, I have known him for ten years now. I have also followed his antecedents closely and he has proved to be different from so many I have come across on the cause of Sports Reporting beat in the past near three decades.

One of his strong qualities that I found fascinating is, aside from his goal getting instincts and strong character, foremost; he is out rightly detribalised and humane. He places more priority on merit; simply count him out of self-centeredness. He is a principled person and not noisy man who never take NO as an answer. He hates carrying airs around himself.

To put it wholesale, the above contributed immensely why I became close to Prince Vincent Okumagba. His resourcefulness is so dripping and infectious. I was able to come thus far with him due to his belief in equity and openness. He detests clumsiness in all its ramifications.

His ascendency to the enviable position of National Chairman of NFSC was nature’s doing. It is instructive to chronicle that since the existence of the Supporters Club, he is the first none South Westerner to occupy that seat. For avoidance of doubt, all federal government agencies connected to sports are backing the Okumagba leadership, the Youth and Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigeria Olympic Committee among others.

That singular act brought him face to face with those that claim to be the establishment. As such they want the status quo to remain, so far they are concerned, that position is untouchable. They reserve the right to choose and rubber stamp who becomes its National Chairman.

Lest we forget, one-time first Vice Chairman of the body, Chief Isaiah Ezeogu, was the first to challenge the status quo crusaders that in 21st century, power must change hand. He took them head-on, went ahead to pick form for the position of national chairman despite No vacant slogan by the self-styled ‘owners’ of NFSC, it raged on.

As his name, Ezeogu implies he faced the establishment widely regarded as dreadful with so much rumours of anybody that dare will burn his fingers.

Ezeogu went ahead to mount the most glamorous and issue based campaign in the history of the 50 year old club. He did not care a hoot about their intimidation and sundry. He proved a point that nothing, after all, these people are ordinary humans.

He opened the eyes of members especially none South Westerners that they have stakes as Nigerians in NFSC and so, must go for them without waiting for anybody to give them crumbs at their caprices. He brought voice, vigour and fearless to South East, South South and the Northerners in NFSC who before his move were mere followers. He won that battle as a progressive, thinker and he is my hero.

These people have ever since subjected Okumagba to daring battles seen and unseen. The good thing going for him is the age old maxim that says one with God, is with Majority.  Again, good number of the insiders of the establishment that held NFSC hostage these long years fell out to joined forces with him to sustain the crusade of enthroning a reformed NFSC that would accommodate all Nigerians no matter the part of the country they are from, to have equal opportunity to vote and be voted for in any position of their choice in which they are qualified and desire to occupy without any man made clause prohibiting them.

That has been the battle cry and legitimate call Okumagba and others want from the establishment that have vowed to high heavens they won’t let go. It has been on, efforts by the Okumagba led NEC to conduct election into offices was sabotaged by the remnants of the establishment via the eleventh hour Court injunction stopping the already planned polls till the time of crafting this article.

However, after trying other options and failed, they resorted to the hoax of Saturday, July 16, 2016 where the main proponent of NO none South Westerner would occupy national chairman seat, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, a self-styled President- General of Nigeria Football Supporters and Other Sports in his usual characteristic gathered non National Executive members in his Ayinde Giwa Street, Surulere, where it flew the kite that the national Chairman, Prince Vincent Okumagba was impeachment.

Let me set the record straight that the National Secretariat of NFSC is in Mabo Street, Ojuelegba not Ayinde Giwa, interestingly at least, 15 State chapters’ chairmen, their Secretaries and other officers attended NEC meeting in Ilorin Kwara State that same Saturday.

The Ilorin NEC which is authentic one rose with communiqué that passed vote of confidence on the leadership of Prince Vincent Okumagba. As if that was not enough, the same NEC met again in Lagos Saturday, July 23, 2016 and iced the cake, reaffirming their loyalty and confidence on the Okumagba led NEC as the only one the constitution of the Club backed to summon NEC meeting and nobody else.

They further endorsed what they described as his laudable programmes for NFSC which are tailored towards re-building Football Supporters Club that would adequately accommodate all Nigerians without any let or hindrance.

They also gave him a clean bill of health that cleared him from all the litany of lies by the Ladipo led miscreants allegedly gathered from Ojuelegba. The NEC pointed out that his trade mark of running open administration that carries everyone along remains second to none and urged him not allow enemies to derail his attitude towards mankind.

According to the communiqué, the Nigeria Football Supporters Club {NFSC} genuine members are much in tune with this new era set to meet her prime objectives and goals. The NEC also resolved to focus on its Rio Olympic Games agenda of ensuring that adequate arrangement of providing unflinching and total support for our U-23 Eagles squad would not be compromised.

NEC declared null, void and of no effect the laughable and purported impeachment, Rafiu Ladipo and his minority group flew last Month. NEC regarded the purported move as not only absurd but also diversion.

NEC enjoins and alerts all to disregard whatever emanated from the kangaroo and illegal set up. We only place our focus on the activities from the authentic leadership of Prince Vincent Okumagba who is the only recognised and constitutionally backed National Chairman of Nigeria Football Supporters Club mandated to call any NEC and other meetings.

NEC want to make it abundantly clear that any other group that parades itself is not only impersonating but also intruding and overall agents of confusion, as we the NEC of NFSC restated our unalloyed support for our able chairman, Prince Vincent Okumagba who has been piloting the affairs of our great Club devoid of ethnic or myopic considerations.

NEC therefore mandated his leadership to ensure that every plan for Rio, Brazil Games would remain on course.

The Federal Government as represented by the Youths and Sports Minister, Honourable Solomon Dalung is fully backing our spirited resolve to ensure we provide an unparalleled supporter for our football team, the U-23 Eagles squad at the Games.

As an apostle of fair play for all, it is forward with Okumagba and his NEC as they continue the transformation of the Supporters Club that would reflect the true cosmopolitan posture of the country. The dark era of one section dominating the rest there should truly become a thing of the past. Only then, will the better forgotten era of one man show, deceit, financial recklessness and fraud would be no more. NFSC members need fresh beginning and air. Consequent upon that, Prince Vincent Okumagba holds the key forward. So boldly step out and Enter!!

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

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 8, 2016

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