A former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and newly elected Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Rt. Hon. Margaret Mwuese Icheen, has said as the first elected female member of the board from the north, her mission is to ensure that every state in the region has a formidable female football club. The Benue State FA Chairperson also spoke on the need for long lasting peace in Nigerian football.
You are well known with firsts. You have just become the first woman from the north to be elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). How happy are you with this new development?
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It is the will of God that I am always first in some of these areas that are considered as exclusive reserves for the men. First, I emerged as the first speaker of any House of Assembly in Nigeria and West Africa. History can’t forget that. And coming to the game of football, I wasn’t a footballer but I developed interest in the game. As you are aware, I started out with Sir Akpoo system football club of Adikpo in Benue State. I gave it my all. And after so many years of meritorious service to the game, I was elected as the first and only female chairman of the Benue State Football Association (BAFA). It is while serving as state FA chairman that I contested and became the first woman from the north to be elected NFF board member. So, it is a thing of joy. It was possible because of my interest and contributions to the game of football.
Considering that you contested against an incumbent and other top contenders, how confident were you of victory?
Definitely, when you get into any election, you don’t think of failure. You always think that you are going in there to win. If you hold such belief, it means you have done your home work very well. In my case, I spoke to all the delegates that I felt were very important. All delegates are important but not all delegates can be for you. I explained to them why it was necessary for them to vote for me to become a member of the new NFF board. So, I think by my home, the result came out positive.
What is your mission and vision for football development in north central that you are representing on the board?
When you are getting into an election, you must have your vision and mission. They say charity should start at home so I will give priority attention to my state, then the north central and Nigeria in general. I believe that football is a grassroots affair. It has to be developed at the grassroots. Once the game is well structured and developed at the grassroots, then there will be development at all levels. So, my aim is ensure that football at the grassroots is given all the necessary attention and taken very seriously. I believe that is also the plan of our president. He told us at our inaugural meeting that he wants grassroots football development to be given priority attention. So, with the support of my colleagues on the board, I will help in developing grassroots football in north central and the north in general.
You are talking about grassroots football development but in Benue state where you are the football association chairperson, it appears everything football is Lobi Stars…
I am aware of this and it has been a thing of concern to me. I am also aware that some states have more than two formidable football clubs. Although we have other clubs like Lobi Stars Feeders, JM Liberty and Flight FC, that is not enough for a state that is blessed with abundant talents in football. It is for this reason that I will be giving serious attention to grassroots football. It is also on record that when I became the state FA Chairperson, I ensured that every local government has a football club. We then went round to scout for players to complement those in Lobi Stars. I will reinforce this so that we can have more than one football club in the state and in the NPFL.
How do you hope to get funding for grassroots football development which you said you are passionate about?
Administering football is no doubt capital intensive. Most times, you find people who are interested but are scared because they lack the wherewithal to support the game. We are going to think outside the box. I believe that once there are positive results, people will be willing to put their hard earned money into football. For instance, we have a Benue State indigene, Barrister Paul Edeh, who has been so supportive. He is always there for us any time we want to play the state league. He has really spent so much in sponsoring football in the state. As we speak he is sponsoring two female football clubs, Naija Ratels Abuja and Honey Badgers of Makurdi. So, I think if we have two or three enthusiasts like him, Benue State will go far in football.
What should Nigerians expect from the new NFF board?
I know things are really tough generally in the country and we can’t work without adequate resources. So, this new board will go out of its way to look for sponsors and when we do that something tangible will come in for us to develop the game. The past board tried its best so we shall build on the good legacies and try to correct the mistakes that were made. This is the mission and vision of the new NFF board.
What is your appeal to aggrieved members of the football family?
My appeal to them is that now a new board is in place so they should give us a chance to make amends as quickly as possible. We have to sit as one united family to discuss the way forward. Football can’t thrive in a toxic atmosphere.
How satisfied are you with female football development in the north?
I won’t say hundred percent but fifty percent. I wish that every state in the north should have a female football club. But unfortunately, I can’t say we have many female football clubs in the region. It is therefore my thinking that my presence on the board will help in addressing this deficiency. As a woman and a mother, I will do my best to see that even if not all northern states, at least half of them have formidable female clubs. As a matter of fact, in the future people will prefer to watch female football to men football. Even now, when you see them playing, you don’t see any difference. So, I am bold to say that very soon, women’s football will bounce more than men’s football.
Your board is new but what would you like to be remembered for when your tenure expires?
Legacies are remembered by what you put on ground. So, what I will do in four years, will be my legacies that will be remembered forever by Benue State, the north central and Nigeria in general.