By Uzor Odigbo
Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya has demanded accountability in the way State owned club, Gombe United Football Club is being managed.
In a chat with the Publisher and Chairman CEO of Northeast Times Newspaper, Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, the governor lamented the extent he had carried Gombe United along during his first tenure and has continued to do so. “All I could get from people was that I want Gombe United Football Club dead,” he lamented.
The governor, who is not usually among those that hug the media for publicity on issues bothering on good governance, however hinted that his accountability records gave him the victory recently at the supreme court for a second term as Gombe State helmsman.
In the chat, Governor Yahaya revealed the amount of money his government doles out to Gombe United monthly and queried “What had they done with the money?
“I have been releasing 12 million (Twelve million Naira) every month to the Club management for more than a year and never stopped. What have they been doing with it?” he queried.
Gara Gombe who disclosed part of the chat to our correspondent added:”I am aware they have been selling players to other clubs and also transferring players abroad, they only tell me they sold players, but how much, where is the money and how many players he doesn’t know or they don’t tell him.”
A seemingly embarrassed Governor Inuwa, could not understand why a privately owned club in the state DOMA United could be doing well and Gombe United owned by Government is complaining.
His Excellency also said that “DOMA UNITED is a private Club owned by an individual not Government. Why are they doing well? Is the Chairman of DOMA UNITED spending 12m every month on Doma United?
“DOMA UNITED are from Gombe too, they are not from any other State, I can decide to help them and support them too. For an individual to show the kind of management acumen, accountability and performance of DOMA UNITED, they deserve our praise and support”.
Governor Yahaya revealed so many things especially how he is being scandalized on social media, alleging that people of Gombe State and sports lovers saying he wants to destroy Gombe United, that he is not interested in helping the team.
Interestingly, the governor however regretted how unfair people have been to him and his Government.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya reacted thus, “Ahmed you are a sports person. Ask them who brought the team back to premier league from relegation, is it not me? How is it possible for our people to accuse me of destroying Gombe United?”
