It was a standing ovation and praises for the chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, at the extra ordinary congress of the Nigeria football Federation held on Wednesday at the Chida International Hotel, Abuja, for his efforts at transforming the elite domestic League in Nigeria, the NPFL via a well-conceived innovations.
The Congress, which is the highest decision making organ of football in Nigeria, asked the league boss to stand up and take a bow on the floor of the meeting, a rare privilege ever accorded to any single member of the football fraternity.
Dikko, who doubles as the second vice president of the NFF was specifically and specially commended for making the league better than he met it, by boosting its commercial viability, values and spectator friendly amidst international recognitions.
This was later reflected in the number 3 item of the communique issued at the end of the congress, as follows:
“For its credible efforts and innovations at making the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) much better, commercially viable and spectator –friendly with particular mention of the return of Elite Professional Football to Maiduguri, Borno State, the General Assembly commended the League Management Company under the leadership of the NFF 2nd Vice President, Mr. Shehu Dikko”.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Federal Government through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had hailed the Mallam Shehu Dikko-led LMC for encouraging the peace in Maiduguri and it’s environs through the hosting of NPFL matches in the North east state.
The Minister via a direct conversation with the League boss expressed the President Buhari-led government appreciation to the Dikko led LMC for conducting a successful hosting of the Elkanemi vs 3SC league match in Maiduguri, which was an indication of the government successful efforts at ensuring that peace is restored in the troubled region of the North eastern part of Nigeria.
Also excited with the return of league matches in Maiduguri were the state governor Alh. Kashim Shettima, football stakeholders as well as the people of Borno who expressed joy and full of excitement with the return of top flight football in Maiduguri.
The NPFL week 11 match between Elkanemi warriors and Shooting stars of Ibadan ended 2-0 in favour of the host who have been playing their home matches in Katsina for the past two seasons owning to the security situation in Maiduguri Borno state caused by insurgency.