Edeh Declares For Benue FA Chairmanship Position

Edeh Declares For Benue FA Chairmanship Position

Ibraheem Lateef

President of Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF) Barr. Paul Edeh has officially declared his intention to contest for the Chairmanship position in the upcoming Benue State Football Association election, reports BSNSports.com.ng.

Barr. Edeh who had picked his nomination form a few days ago, told stakeholders, mostly Chairmen and Secretaries of various Local Government Areas (LGAs) at the weekend in Makurdi that his desire to lead Benue FA was anchored on competence and commitment to further drive grassroots football development.

The RSDF boss who has been sponsoring the State FA Football League in the past years while reeling out his many football developmental antecedents in parts of the country, said, "I'm not in the race to exploit the system but to make an endearing impact. "Our incumbent chairperson has been very visionary about football development and I desire to advance her impactful steps in the next dispensation.

"I have come to serve and not to be served. I have come to collaborate with stakeholders to move football forward. My regular thoughts and how a progressive model should be is that football development run from bottom to top.

"Benue from ages has budding talents in various communities and we must fish them out. We will work with referees and coaches as well as others by organizing refresher training, just as we encourage many to attend courses that will help them improve themselves in their chosen vocation and profession.

"Football all over the world has become big business. The federal government has this understanding and recently came up with the 10-year football master plan and it's our responsibility to find creative ways to uplift football in Benue State.

"Most of you may not be aware that the current drive of the Nigeria Football Federation is anchored towards grassroots football development. This means that all the attention is focused on you being administrators at the local councils, as the core anchor of football development."

Responding, most of the Chairmen and Secretaries from the LGAs expressed satisfaction with the vision and capacity of Barr. Edeh assured of their readiness to give him full support.

Specifically, the Chairman of Oju LGA Mr. Raphael Adoga popularly known as Father said, "In Barr. Edeh, we as Chairmen from the 23 Local Governments have found one who is capable of taking Benue football to greater heights."

Also speaking, another Chairman from Otukpo LGA Mr. Agbo James, and that of Vandekiya Mr. Marcel Akaasar who were excited said with Barr. Edeh, a club owner of high repute, Benue football is comfortably in safe hands.

The meeting of the stakeholders was preceded by a formal inauguration of elected Chairmen of the entire Local Government Football Councils in Makurdi, Benue State capital.

At the inauguration, the incumbent Chairperson of Benue State FA, Rt. Hon. Mrs. Margaret Icheen told the new Chairmen and their board to forge developmental ways of uplifting football in their domain.

While wondering why few individuals recently signed a petition to the court with claims that the former local football council boards were given four years in office, Icheen warned against taking football issues to conventional courts.

Instead, she admonished any aggrieved persons at any time to always explore internal dispute resolution mechanisms, adding, "No one is meant to take football matters to conventional courts. Doing so could attract sanctions to you."

On why she is stepping down, the FA Chairperson said, "I'm stepping aside to give another person a chance to develop football in the state. I don't believe in staying in a position forever."

Declaring the event open, Benue State Director of Sports Comrade Philip Ter Nongu hailed Barr. Edeh for always partnering and sponsoring sporting activities in the state.

He lamented the non-execution of the governor's cup in the past seven years and expressed hope that the incoming government will revive the competition which serves as a veritable platform for discovering budding talents from parts of the state.

Certificates were later handed over to the elected chairmen from all 23 LGAs in the state after they took the oath of office.