His entry to Ilorin, the Kwara State capital was unplanned. But fate played a leading role and he found himself in the Afonja town.
Chief Alloy Chukwuemeka, the Nwachigoziri-1 of Umualumaku, Ehime Mbano, Imo State was at a time a spare part seller, helping his uncle to tend to customers but because he followed his passion, football by joining his fellow kinsmen to play the game, he has now discovered himself.
The apprentice journalist with National Sportslink is today a household name in sports in Kwara State and by extension, Nigeria. He’s one of the so-called “cabal” in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) by virtue of being the Executive Secretary of the Club Owners Association of Nigeria.
In this interview with Group Sports Editor, The Sun newspapers, Chukwuemeka tells his story, how it began and where it has taken him so far.
My journey to Ilorin
My sojourn into Ilorin began in my early years in secondary school after I did my JSS classes at the Government Secondary School, Nyanya in Abuja.
My late uncle, Mr. Herbert, a senior security chief had invited me to visit Ilorin after a Christmas festivities. Though I had gone to the village for the festivities, he asked me to join one of our town man, Mr. Celestine Ntamere who lives in Ilorin but came home for the Xmas.
I joined Mr. Ntamere with his family to Ilorin where he directed me to my uncle’s house inside the A Division Police Barrack, Ilorin.
Incidentally, that movement from village to Ilorin in the company of Mr. Celestine Ntamere culminated to my marrying his second daughter, Nkechi who is my wife today, because we grew together from then.
On Arrival in Ilorin, my Uncle convinced me not to return to Abuja but to enroll in Government Secondary School, Agbabiaka in Ilorin where I completed my secondary school.
Another of my second uncle, Mr. Gerald Nwandu was a businessman at Agaka, Ilorin where he sold general motors parts. So whenever we were on holidays, I used to join at the shop to help sell goods.
It was while fraternizing with the traders that I found out that there was Igbo Traders Football Association where traders play football competition yearly.
Because of my love for football I joined one of the clubs, Super Manchester United as an official, though I played football in my early life before a head injury caused my discontinuation in active football.
One day I attended the meeting of the participating clubs prior to the competition and as a result of my valuable contributions I was selected as a member of the club representatives to attend the ITFA Organising Committee meeting.
When we got to the ITFA meeting, I was again appointed an under secretary by the then chairman, late Chief Donatus Okafor (Dona Brothers Ltd).
As an under secretary I had the mandate to write a press release to the local media houses in Ilorin to inform them about the kick off of the Igbo Unity Cup competition.
It was while distributing the letters to the media men that I met a seasoned sports journalist, Mr. Bayour Issah and that was how my journey into journalism started.
Foray into journalism, how it started, the mentors and impact
My journey into journalism started when I took the letter to the sports media men at the Kwara State stadium Ilorin and met Mr. Bayour Issah. I greeted him and handed to him one of the letters.
Thereafter he opened the letter, read it and asked me my name, which I told because I signed the letter.
He asked me again that who wrote the press release? I answered him that I did, he asked me my educational qualifications and I told him SSCE. He was surprised.
He called on other journalists around and said “look at a press release from Igbo traders Football Association written by this boy!”
They were doubtful of whether I was the one who actually wrote it. He now asked me to sit down and he gave me a plain paper to write another press release for the final match. I wrote it and he shouted, “this one is even more perfect than the other one.”
It was then he told me to report to his office at Sportspro International at Emir Road the following day. From then I started writing script for his radio programmes and becoming a co-sports analyst with him on Radio Kwara.
Mr. Bayour Issah again called one of his colleagues in Lagos, Mr. Emma Jemegah who worked at the prestigious National Sportslink Newspapers, that he had a good boy who would be contributing for him from Ilorin.
It was after I wrote three sports stories that were published by the National Sportslink that Emma Jemegah invited me to Lagos.
Mr. Bayour Issah packed me into a delivery pickup van and I sat at the back to Lagos where Emma Jemegah received me.
Jemegah commended my writing skills and took me to his house at Ogba, where I was sleeping in his parlour alongside his little children.
The following day he took me to the office where I was interviewed and offered employment to work as a young reporter with the National Sportslink newspaper.
Initially I couldn’t cope with the Lagos lifestyle but Jemegah guided me and supported me all through my stay in Lagos before I was assigned to join the likes of Jack Moses Ekwe Ekwe as Northern correspondents.
My first major assignment was the Bauchi 2000 National Sports Festival where I was adjudged best reporter in the Daily National Sportslink.
It was Bayour Issah and Emma Jemegah that spearheaded my sojourn into sports journalism to the glory of God and their mentorships. Today I had served in different capacities in the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) from State PRO in Kwara to vice Chairman to a National Officer.
The sports journalism that I joined as a graduate of secondary school boosted me to secure my first degree, BSC in Geography from the University of Ilorin. Thereafter I got my professional certificate with PGD in Journalism from the International institute of Journalism (IIJ). I proceeded to secure a Master’s degree in Public Administration and presently back to school to study Peace and Strategic Studies.
The sudden change to football management
It was while I was with the National Sportslink newspaper that we did a pull out page on the development strides in sports in Yobe State by the then Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim. I wrote a portion of the stories on football development in Yobe State.
After the story we got a call in the office from the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political, Information and Sports, one Alhaji Ismail Oginni.
He enquired about me and thereafter invited me to Damaturu, Yobe State. On arrival, I was received at the Government House, where he expressed his joy over my write up and immediately offered me the position of Media Officer of the state owned club, Yobe Desert Stars.
Aside that, I was working directly with him as Media Assistant in the Government House. Alhaji Oginni is a passionate football lover and also the Chairman of Yobe Desert Stars.
He took me in closely as a son and we were able to galvanise the club to get promotion to the top league and also played in the National FA Cup finals in Lagos with Julius Berger in 2002.
My prominence in Yobe Desert Stars and our corresponding achievements and results led to my being invited to work in Enyimba International FC in charge of Special Duties under Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu. I was part of the success stories of winning the CAF Champions League back to back.
It was while I was with Enyimba FC that my mentor, Bayour Issah recommended me to Saraki as one who could transform the youth team, Bukola Babes FC to a more professional outfit.
That informed my invitation to come and manage Bukola Babes FC under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Abdul Adama.
To the glory of God we were able to take the club from amateur, to Pro league and to the Premier League, where the club became prominent, both locally and internationally and has produced a lot of young talents in line with the vision of the owners.
ABS FC is presently in the Nigeria National league NNL. Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki is the proprietor of the club while Seni Saraki his son, is the Chairman while I’m the General Manager and Director of Football.
Becoming the secretary of Club owners
When ABS FC was in the Premier League, I was the club’s representative at the Club Owners Association of Nigeria. During one of the meetings of the Association in Abuja, I was called upon to assist the then Executive Secretary of the Association, Mr. Arthur Kwarme.
In my usual characteristic of selfless service, I assisted him very well and sometimes I stood in for him in his absence.
When the former Minister of Youths and Sports, Bolaji Abdulahi reformed the league and brought in the ILMC cum LMC, there was a minor reshuffling in the Club Owners Association and I was appointed as acting Secretary of the Association alongside Barrister Isaac Danladi as Acting Chairman.
As the Acting Secretary, I was able to bring my experience to bear and transformed the Association to become a group to reckon with aside the introduction of the PEER REVIEW MECHANISM, which made the whole clubs to function in unison.
We put the interest of member clubs as top priority and members were able to travel globally for capacity building in Football Administration and Management.
We also ensure transparency in the management of the affairs of the Association aside ensuring that it works under the law of Nigeria and can conveniently do football business seamlessly.
So when my club, ABS FC got relegated to the lower division, I put in my resignation as the Secretary of the Association but was rejected and thereafter appointed me as the Executive Secretary till date. This cumulatively made my occupation of the position for over 11years.
During these years I have made my mark contributing immensely to the development of football in Nigeria. I was also a member of the Strategic Studies Committee of the NFF for eight years.
You will recall that I’m also a Grade One referee in Nigeria. My several roles have indeed made me a factor to be reckoned with in Nigeria football till date.
What are the identified problems of the league, from ownership to management, the system and players and the recipe for development?
From my many years in football administration and management in Nigeria, I have come to understand that our major problem is what I can call “Environmental factors.” Some people call it Nigeria factor. Our inability to harness our different potentials to make our system work.
Our inability to domesticate what good value we have learnt from other football nations of the world.
Our administrators, players, coaches and referees will go outside the shores of this country and are rated higher but as soon as they return to Nigeria, the environmental factors won’t allow them to excel.
This is the same country that has produced great footballers in several countries of the world. The same country where Enyimba won the CAF Champions League back to back, the same country called giant of Africa.
So we must have rethink and ask ourselves the question of “ What is it that we are not doing right?
The solution is that we must allow the institutions and framework with the football system to work without undue sentiments and favouritism. Let the best players, best administrators, best referees and best coaches be selected on merit to achieve success.
We can make it work if truly we are committed to do so. Let me give an example, ABS FC players are not screened whenever they go to any Premier League club or national teams because we have a system and structure that supports excellence in the development and training of our players.
University of Ilorin students are not screened at NYSC Orientation Camps because they are products of academic excellence and solid structure built by the school system.
So until we are able to build our institutions and structures with the system to work effectively and efficiently to support our football, that’s the way forward.
One of the major identified problems of league football management in Nigeria is club ownership and control by government. It is only in this part of the world that government owns and controls football club.
And until we are able to use legislation to force government out of club ownership and control, the problems will remain.
Government’s role is in provision for infrastructure and creating enabling environment for football to grow, but here government owns clubs and thus uses them for political patronage.
As the Executive Secretary of the club owners Association of Nigeria, in 2019 I came up with a model, which will see government gradually hands off club ownership and control. That model was okayed by the LMC and I sent to two state Governors who admitted it was good but its implementation never saw the light of the day because of “Environmental factors.”
How did you meet your wife, what she is to you, how you are trying not to offend her? How is it staying away from home most times, being a frequent traveller affect the relationship? What you can’t be without her?
As a family man and like I explained earlier, I met my wife when I travelled alongside her family to Ilorin. Actually we are from the same village and I took her as my sister because we interacted and lived as families.
Funnily, some young men who earlier sort her hand in marriage were coming through me to reach her.
One day we were discussing village matters and one elder said someone from my family could marry from their family, that our great grand fathers were separate.
Like play, like play and like sister, like brother we became husband and wife. Many people were still surprised till today that brother and sister married each other. Because of our growth together from youths we are like brothers and sisters.
It might surprise you that for over 19 years of marriage we have never quarreled for once. It is unbelievable but it is true. Many families use ours as examples and they preach at wedding ceremonies using my family as a guide to young couples.
Because of the nature of my job, which involves a lot of traveling both within and abroad, she has been the pillar of the house. And because we understand each other, she never complained rather she prays for me always.
She is the best woman in the whole world after my mother and she had a good religious background in the Catholic faith. Her major priority is her husband and her children because since I married her, she had not shown me anybody as her friend and nobody has visited her and she has not for once visited any friend aside going to church and visiting her parents.
Being a traditional Chief, how’s the feeling? What it has done to you and your reputation? What it has stopped you from doing, those things you are used to do before becoming a chief?
As a seasoned football administrator, who had contributed immensely outside my home state, I decided that I must try to give back to my community.
I started by instituting a yearly football tournament in my village like the popular Umualumaku Unity Cup. I moved on to support local government clubs and youth academies in my state. I encourage young footballers, referees and coaches.
I did other community services like provisions of electric poles, building culverts and other community development efforts. It was by all those engagements that my community honoured me with a Chieftaincy title of Nwachigoziri-1 alongside my wife.
The honour as the youngest High Chief in my community has raised my status not only in my community but also across the country. I have had several offers for chieftaincy title, which I rejected but that one from my village is the greatest and I have vowed not to take any other.
As a high Chief, it comes with a lot of engagements in community services and traditional activities. So it makes you to avoid certain things, certain foods and certain behaviours that do not tally with the Chiefdom beliefs.
It further restrains you from making certain appearances, certain comments and behaviours that are not in line with the traditions.
As a young man initially it was a big challenge but when you remember your status, you park well.
I’ve 100% passion for coaching, it’s what I love doing – Adeboye
By EMMA JEMEGAH
He made waves playing for the defunct NEPA FC of Abuja as a striker despite his diminutive status. His exploit with the Electricity football team saw Bayelsa United of Yenagoa come for him but his stint was shortlived before he moved to Nembe City and ultimately ended up playing for Dynamo Abomey of Benin Republic.
Welcome to the world of Rasheed Babatunde Adeboye aka Igor. After a successful playing career in Benin Republic, Adeboye retired and returned home to horn his coaching skill at the famous Nigeria Institute for Sports (NIS), Lagos where he graduated in 2018.
In this chat, Adeboye tells us his coaching odyssey and the impact he has made in his relatively short span as a coach, especially in Benin Republic.
You were a household name in the early and late 90s as a striker in the Nigerian league. Can you refresh us the teams you played for?
My biggest breakthrough as a player was with NEPA Football Club. I will say NEPA brought me to limelight and I will eternally remain grateful for the opportunity to play at the top level. After I left NEPA, Bayelsa United signed me on but I played only a season before transferring my services to Nembe City, largely because of Rumson Baribote. But it was not easy because it was a private funded team and I have to leave for Dynamo Abomey of Benin Republic.
You’re now a coach, how was the transition?
Naturally, as a former player the end solution is to become a coach if not in management position. I actually started with some grassroots teams in my area, Oke Aro, Ogun State, where I helped developed some younger players and guided them to play in the Nigerian league.
So far I’m enjoying the experience as a coach because I’m doing what I love doing…the passion is 100%.
You took your first job as a coach in 2019. Can you tell us more about it?
Yes. That was Imperial FC. I had a great time with Olofinjana Boyz. It was a great experience working with Seyi Olofinjana, an ex international and Sporting Director of Wolves FC of England.
I promoted Imperial from NNL 2 to NNL1 for the first time in many years. But the rampaging Coronavirus destroyed a lot of things that made everything to standstill and that made me to go for bigger challenge.
How was your time in foreign country Benin Republic?
A Great experience working outside my comfort zone…
What about the language barrier, how did you manage to cope?
Smile. Football speaks one language. Though I had little experience of the language during my playing time there, also we are taught French language in NIS. But like I said, in football we speak one language with a lot of adaptation.
How did you get the job with JAK FC of Benin Republic?
I got a call from an agent about a team that is in relegation. After the first round I took up the challenged, with 9 matches left and I was able to escape the team with three matches left to end the season.
Tell us about 2022/23 season.
Fantastic season. It’s time to show what I can do. I retained some, I looked out for some players that could fit into my philosophy and we had more time for pre-season, to prepare a formidable team.
Jak FC is one of the smallest clubs in Benin Republic, how were you able to manage to remain in the league?
Yes. They are not until we turned it to a fearful team. I prepare a team that is not scared of playing against the so-called big teams in the league. Though they are bigger than us, but on the field, our performance proved better than theirs.
I led the team to its first Super League promotion with two matches left while the so-called big teams were still searching for qualification.
What do you have working for you, you are a young coach, and already promoted two teams to their biggest stage?
God has been faithful to me. It’s the commitment, sacrifice, man management skill, and knowledge of the game. I always love to take challenges. I believe I can take on any team and if giving time and all necessary support. I can take the team to the next stage with the grace of God.
A lot of things are not working in the team, despite the Super League promotion, but all credits to the players.
So, why did you resigned from the team despite your modest achievements?
Yes, I did that despite our promotion. The reason is well known to me. I need more. I thought most people in Benin Republic league understands the philosophy of Jak FC president but I so much respect for my role and my job in any team I signed for. It’s just not the passion in the game. Also, we must protect our jobs.
I left Jak FC because of a lot of lapses in the club. Football has changed and the welfare of players is very important. That is my first philosophy, so that things will work well. I am looking unto God to give me a club that can understand my philosophy, where I can prove what I have as coach with the support of God.
I am eager to transform my experience with Jak FC to any other great clubs.
But the JAK is also having a superb season.
Yes, it’s a good thing that the foundation I laid is working for the team. With 25 points and two matches to the end of the Pro League, the Ketou club is currently 2nd in Zone D ahead of Dragons and Asvo and has every chance of qualifying for the Super League Pro.
While I was with the team, I played 14 games played with 6 wins, 7 draws and one loss. The team scored16 goals (third best attack in Zone D) and conceded 8 goals (second best defense in Zone D).
