N55 million shirt sponsorship deal tears Kano Pillars FC apart, board members query club chairman
By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
Nigeria’s club side football title record holders Kano Pillars FC is scour in internal crisis that is roaring to swallow Sai Masu Gida as they are fondly called by their adherent followers.
Club owners, Kano state government under the leadership of His Excellency Eng Abba Kabiru Yusuf, on 23rd June , 2023 had instituted the 13 man board members to steer the affairs of the club.
Our investigations revealed that the new club managment , since they were installed have continued to frog jump from one internal tussle to another .
The issues bothering the club ranges from accusations of managerial dictatorship, to administrative secrecy, lack of consultation and greed for power and resource sharing have continued to clad news filtering out of the club, in recent times.
The recently unveiled shirt sponsorship valued at N55 million deal is the straw that broke the camels back, board members fume over the managerial skills of the club chairman , Babangida Umar a.k.a “Little”accussed to have staged a one man show in all his dealings in the name of the club .
One Sani Ibrahim is alleged to have opened the can of worms , when he formally approached the secretary to the state Government , in his petition, Sani rolled out in series the allegations against the club chairman, prominent amongst the alleged vexatious issues is the signing of KPFC shirt sponsorship deal without following due process.
The shirt deal is reported to include the branding of the breast side and lower back side of Kano Pillars official match jersey , the deal is worth N55 million, our correspondent gathered, the club recently had issued double statements on issues relating to the branding and merchandizing of the club costume property .
Sani Alleged that, Mr Babangida had continually piloted the affairs of the club in contravention to the laid down management rules.
An impeccable source told our correspondent that the signing of N55 million shirt deal with Gongoni limited and Pop Cola sparked off the current confrontation that is tearing the club apart.
The raging war between pro and anti “Little” camps is roaring to wallop the pride of northern club football.
The club chairman is slammed with the allegations of single handedly initiating, negotiated and sealed the new club shirt sponsorship deal without seeking for an input from the board as required by the laid down rules.
A close source who will not want to be named said “ it is better for the governor of Kano state to intervene before things will get bad, this is a club that just returned from relegation.
“they the board and chairman took over the club on a platter of gold, they came when the job of returning the club to the top league have been concluded for them , there is nothing wrong with that, but why are they trying to send the club back to the tethers .
The source further said “whenever the board members met, since they were inaugurated it has been from one crisis to another, the earlier they are asked to leave the better, because, no matter what they now have poisoned minds and they cannot be healed and moreover many of them are not conversant with how the system works or they are simply football archaic, governor Abba should act before it is too late.”
“the danger of what is currently happening to Kano Pillars is that , it will spread to the players, to the technical crew and the fans, then there will be pollution of minds everywhere and the club will now suffer from the poison and then suffer the club lover over the sin of some few people.”
The club chairman, Babangida Umar addressing the players at BUK playground last Thursday assured the players and technical crew that the management under his leadership will continue to place priority on the welfare of the players.
He reassured that, he would continue to steer policies that will be beneficial to the business model of the club.
Serial resignation by some top notch committee members in the past two weeks has sent panic waves across the ranks of the club followers.
It would be recalled that members of the sub committees set up to assist in running the club have continued to thrown in the towel, faulting the club chairman ‘s managerial style and skills .