Newly elected chairman of Delta State Football Association, Kenneth Nwaomucha, says his board is on a rescue mission to save the state football from its ‘near total collapse.’
Nwaomucha, who played for the then conquering Delta Glass FC of Ughelli before moving to NNPC FC of Warri, and later Flash Flamingos FC of Benin City, was voted alongside others into the board of DFA on Tuesday in Asaba.
The election, which was supported by Delta Sports Commission, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is receiving knocks from two ex-Super Eagles players, Edema Fuludu and Victor Ikpeba, who have vowed not to relent in their fight to reclaim their mandate as the authentic elected DFA board.
With the threat by Fuludu and Ikpeba to drag the NFF to FIFA over the election still gathering momentum, Nwaomucha says his board had already commenced a reconciliation move to bring all aggrieved members together.
“We are members of one big family in Delta football,” Nwaomucha told The Guardian in a telephone chat yesterday. “There is no need exposing the family before coming to a round table to make peace. It is natural to see some people expressing anger over my election as the new DFA chairman, but I want them to realise that football development can only thrive under a peaceful environment. What we need in Delta football at the moment is peace, and I will do my possible best to bring peace.
“I won’t say that football is totally down in Delta state at the moment, but sincerely speaking, we are no longer at the top. Since the end of Amaju Pinnick’s tenure as DFA chairman, the standard of our football has fallen. This board will go to any length to take it to the top. It is a rescue mission, and we are ready for the task ahead of us,” Nwaomucha stated.
Between 1980 and 1986, Nwaomucha played alongside the likes of Davidson Owumi and Harrison Jalla, dictating the pace at various clubs, including Flash Flamingos FC.
Nwaomucha, a Senior Special Adviser on Sports Development to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa recalls: “I bought my first car, while playing for Flash Flamingos FC far back 1986. I was among the top rated players then, and few of us were given a car loan. My priority now is to make young footballers in Delta state enjoy some of the things we enjoyed during our playing days. We will revive grassroots football to discover new talents, and also take Delta State League to the top.”
Tuesday’s election produced former Warri Wolves chairman Steve Cole as vice chairman. Others board members include former Super Eagles defender Sam Sodje, sports journalist Harrison Ocholor, former Nigeria Referee Association vice president Dave Egho, former Delta State Commission board member, Neville Bekederemor and Media Officer of Warri Wolves, Azuka Chiemeka.