NPFL: HOW SURAJO “JAMBUL” TOOK KANO PILLARS FROM BOTTOM TO THE TOP

2019, the Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, lifted Surajo Shaaibu Yahaya popularly known as ‘Jambul’ from grass to grace when he appointed him the chairman of the well-known Kano Pillars soccer membership.

Expectedly, Jambul’s appointment elicited criticisms as many soccer stakeholders in Kano State and past questioned why an astute and well-experienced soccer administrator like Alhaji Tukur Babangida was changed with somebody who was not recognized in soccer circles past his area people.

No ‘guns-for-all’ in Zamfara, however …
How Bauchi lady, 52, died defending son from bandits

Personally, I used to be not stunned as a result of state governors have shaped the unhealthy behavior of appointing their cronies who know subsequent to nothing about soccer to preside over state-owned skilled golf equipment. They’re normally used as conduit pipes to empty public funds.

For example, in Benue State the place I come from, till now, Lobi Stars was below the direct management of the governor’s spouse as a result of she determined who was to function vice-chairman of the membership. It’s an open secret that she appointed the instant previous Chief Govt Officer (CEO) who’s his shut relative.

Due to this fact, in as a lot because the younger man demonstrated lack of capability to guide the membership, he was untouchable till the deplorable state of affairs in Lobi Stars acquired out of hand.

When the membership was positioned nineteenth on the desk with 19 factors from 19 matches within the ongoing season, the Governor had no selection however to bow to strain by recalling the current vice-chairman, Dominic Iorfa, who stepped in to show across the fortunes of the membership. Lobi Stars are presently thirteenth on the desk with excessive probabilities of surviving the drop.

Identical to many different membership chairmen within the NPFL, Jambul’s appointment was not on advantage. He himself informed me in an interview that he was solely compensated for his huge help to Ganduje throughout his gubernatorial campaigns.

Yahaya stated he thought the governor would make him a commissioner however he was as a substitute appointed the chairman of Kano Pillars.

In the identical interview, he stated “My slogan is taking Pillars to the subsequent stage. And I informed everybody within the crew that I’m a disciplinarian.

I like self-discipline. In my second week as chairman of the membership, I inaugurated a committee that can examine the behaviour of the followers of the membership. And the person heading the committee is Professor Musa Garba, a educated man who’s a specialist within the area.
He’s the chairman and they’re working to search out out the distant causes of the unruly behaviour of the followers within the second of losses and even victories. And I additionally informed them that the Pillars of my era would be the crew that can stand tall amongst soccer golf equipment in Africa, not simply Nigeria.”

Sadly, in lower than three years as chairman of Kano Pillars, Jambul has succeeded in taking the as soon as illustrious membership from the highest of Nigerian soccer to the underside.

He couldn’t match his phrases with actions because the ‘Masu Gida boys’ performances continued to nose-dive till he was relieved of his appointment on Wednesday, June 29.

He took over the reins within the yr that Pillars had been the champions of the Nigeria Soccer Federation Cup (Aiteo Cup) and runners up within the home league. Sadly, in the identical yr, he led the membership to exit the CAF Champions League within the preliminary stage after Pillars had been bundled out by Asante Kotoko of Ghana on 5-2 combination.

Within the following yr, Pillars recorded one other preliminary spherical exit within the CAF Confederation Cup within the arms of lowly rated Jaraaf of Senegal who knocked them out 3-1on combination. Aside from continental failures, Pillars fortunes continued to dwindle within the NPFL below the watch of Jambul.

The extra Kano State authorities pumped cash into Pillars, the extra the as soon as formidable pillars continued to wobble as in addition they grew to become nomads with no fastened tackle.
Within the current season, Pillars have performed their residence matches in no less than 4 adopted venues.

They began on the Ahmadu Bello stadium in Kaduna from the place they had been banished to Muhammadu Dikko stadium Katsina.

After some matches, they made a quick return to Kano however had been once more banished to Abuja after the violent assault on Katsina United.

Pillars prosecuted just a few matches on the MKO Abiola nationwide stadium earlier than the provisional approval for them to return to their fortress, the Sani Abacha Stadium Kano.

Whereas they wandered about in quest of factors, Pillars’ turbulent season suffered a number of setbacks as they had been at a stage second to the final on the desk. It was, subsequently, not a shock that even incurable optimists amongst their followers started to surprise how they might survive relegation.

In the meantime, strain continued to mount on Jambul whom many Kano followers blamed for the woes of the membership.
They accused him of high-handedness, corruption and lack of capability to guide the large membership. In reality, some stated he intentionally took Pillars out of Kano simply to forestall the ever inquisitive and enthusiastic followers from figuring out what was taking place to the membership.

Doubtless, it was this rising strain that compelled the previous chairman into taking the legal guidelines into his arms when Pillars had been about to drop valuable factors at residence of their rescheduled week 31 match with equally troubled Dakkada FC.

It might be recalled that Pillars had been main by 1-0 however within the second minute of second half added minutes, the guests equalised.

Jambul, who couldn’t consider his eyes, stormed into the pitch and bodily assaulted an assistant referee. His violent behaviour compelled the match officers to cancel the purpose for the match to finish 1-0 in favour of Pillars.

He received the three factors for his membership however misplaced all that was left of his little fame as a soccer administrator.

Aside from fines imposed on Pillars, the previous chairman instantly grew to become an outcast. He was expelled from the League by LMC and in addition excommunicated by the affiliation of membership homeowners. The LMC additionally ordered for his arrest and prosecution.

Sadly, issues have moved from unhealthy to worse for the ‘emergency soccer administrator’ who has been sacked as chairman of Kano Pillars.

He has since been changed with the founding father of the membership, Pa Ibrahim Galadima whose instant project is to regular the fumbling pillars.

It have to be reiterated that Jambul grew to become the chairman of Kano Pillars once they had been Aiteo Cup champions and runners-up within the NPFL however his mediocrity has taken the as soon as dreaded aspect from the highest to an unfamiliar 14th place the place they’re presently preventing to flee from relegation.