My attention has been drawn to an an article with the above title and felt the compelling need to add my voice so as to not allow the unsuspecting public to swallow some political pills that are far away from the reality.
Though the writer having acknowledged the abysmal performance of Governor Yahaya Bello. He made a sweeping condemnation of the over 62 aspirants of their likely failure as the incumbent. How he arrived at this conclusion leaves much to be desired. Any leadership position on this planet earth must be governed by a human being. And God almighty is the custodian of the leader we clamour for. Hence, when you write everyone off in the manner you did, one will then begin to wonder who will bell the cat? Well, the answer is simple.
You may have drawn your conclusions without adequate knowledge of one aspirant if not the best among the 2019 Kogi gubernatorial aspirants currently. Without being immodest, Alhaji. Sani Lulu Abdullahi, former staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), who supervised the Supreme Court building as the Quantity Surveyor. He later became the Director of sports, with creative and innovative ideas that led to the building of a gigantic sports complex in Garki, Area 10, Abuja.
Aside the National Stadium built by the late Sani Abacha, the edifice remains the only functioning sports complex in Abuja today. It contained facilities like, volleyball court, Tennis court, football field with adjoining facilities like Dressing rooms for both visiting and home-based teams, Referee dressing room, basketball court, a handball court, and indoor sports hall .
Within the same period, Alhaji Sani Lulu founded and funded many sports associations in the said period where a Kogi State born Kabiru Adamah was appointed Chairman, Weightlifting Association till this moment. In 2002, he became 1st vice chairman Nigeria Football Association and ultimately Chairman, Nigeria Football Association in the year 2006.
Upon assumption, his first assignment was to dare the aspect no chairman before him dared, renaming of the association from NFA to NFF- Nigeria Football Federation in line with the international best practices. He transformed NFA that is Nigeria football Association to Nigeria football federation NFF in line with international best practices. He proposed the bill to the National Assembly to give the federation legal teeth. But it was not passed before he left until about two weeks ago. It is still his achievement because there were certain funds you will not be able to access from FIFA as an association unless you are a federation. It was this change that enabled him access to some funds which made the federation a bit independent of federal government , thus; reducing the influence of the ministry of Sports
Lulu facilitate Lokoja Confluence Stadium from the level of the planning, construction, Completion and Upgrading to FIFA Standard.
Former Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, described former NFF President Sani Lulu Abdullahi as one of the brightest shining lights of the confluence State.
“Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi has lifted the name of the State brilliantly in the way and manner he is going about leading Nigeria football. This is one son in whom I am proud, in whom the good people of Kogi State are proud and in whom Nigerians should be proud.
“Sani Lulu Abdullahi has challenged me and I am taking up that challenge. He wants to complete the work on the new Township Stadium and I have assured him that we would do that before the end of the year. I am setting up a special committee this week to look into how we can make our football better in Kogi State,” he said.
One of Sani Lulu’s achievement is an Idah boy named Abbas Ibrahim who currently plays for Pacco De Ferera of Portugal which is a discussion for another day.
Playing in the National Team is not a tea party or quota system. Yet Sani Lulu did his best for two Kogites in the Super Falcons, two Kogites the U-17, the first and last Kogi ever had FIFA Referees was under Sani Lulu. An Ebira girl, Bose Momoh and an Igala from Iyale, Abel Baba. He is today Nigeria’s number 1 Referee and preparing to go for his 3rd AFCON.
Galadima employed only three members of staff throughout his tenure. Sani Lulu employed 28, half being Kogites and his personal staff. I can tell you with authority that no single member of staff has been employed since 2010 after Lulu left.
Sani Lulu went on to take Nigeria football to it’s zenith by making history as the first FA president in Africa to qualify all the 9 teams in FIFA recognized competition for the world cup. That was not enough, Nigeria rose to the 9th position in the monthly FIFA ranking, the first after the Stephen Keshi of blessed memory led 1994 USA team.
Nigeria Super Eagles have not risen up to 24th since he left in 2010.
Furthermore, he introduced the FA U-13 tournament that produced Kelechi Iheanacho in Calabar. He also introduced state youth development football programme and funded it with #500,000.00 yearly.
We must also be reminded of the fact that upon assumption of office in 2006 as NFF president, he met a debt of over #300,000.00. He did not just dispense off the debt, he introduced new policies and initiated programmes that arouse the interest of investors and industrialists who began to identified their products and services with our darling teams that by the time he left office, there was excess cash of #2.8 billion naira. The first and only man to have done so in the spirit of transparency and accountability in Nigeria football history.
Without the assistance of rocket science, I can navigate through historical contours in order to inform our intuitive perception and that of the aforementioned writer that Sani Lulu stands very tall in the midst of 2019 Gubernatorial aspirants. He is the proprietor of FOSLA Academy that currently have over 150 students on his scholarship scheme worth Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only (N750,000.00) per person annually. No doubt, there are over 30 of ex FOSLA Academy students who are on a full scholarship from Sani Lulu at Nasarawa state university today. They are products of the Academy. The criteria for admission into the school to enjoy this magnanimity is to be an orphan and ,or indigent.
Sani Lulu is man who achieved these rare feat without monthly statutory allocation, without bailout funds, without internally generated revenue or excess crude account.
Exactly what will turn Kogi State using the power of confluence to the most promising state within his first four years when elected governor.
As for airing opinions at the time of crisis in the past, it is a function of style and calling. Some are activists, some are silent achievers while others play to the gallery.
Alhaji. Sani Lulu’s lifestyle is that of humility, focused and transparent leadership. He rather chose to air his disaffection with the state leadership inertia by providing alternative leaders through his mentoring style by grooming those who will take over from the current leadership failure. However, avalanche of testimonies of his style of leadership is enough prove to elect him as the next Governor State to rescue us from the current woes, financial quagmire and democratic disempowerment.
Let us all support Sani Lulu Abdullahi from Idah local government area of Kogi for the progress of our state. He did it in FCDA, NFF and so will do it in Kogi where civil servants will be paid the backlog of salaries, allowances, leave bonuses, general welfare of workers, infrastructural development, etc will gain maximum attention.
In the words of Sani Lulu: “Going to the next level requires that every Nigerian should come together, and for us in Kogi State, we want to do things differently. I’m so committed to this project, and I pray that together we’ll take Kogi to the next level.
“My slogan is Mr fix Development, and that’s because I’ve always delivered in all that I did. I have my vision and mission, and I know I will deliver if given the opportunity.”
– Sylvester Ojogbane, the Spokesperson of Sani Lulu Campaign Organization, writes from Lokoja
