Chairman of Enyimba Felix Anyansi Agwu has bitterly condemned reports in the media that supporters of Enyimba Football Club are gearing up for protests in Aba over non-completion of work in the stadium.
The reports claim that supporters of the club under the aegis of Concerned Enyimba Supporters have concluded plans to march round Aba to demand the immediate completion of the rehabilitation work in the stadium. But in an interview in Calabar after Enyimba’s one nil win over Akwa United on Thursday, Felix Anyansi Agwu labelled the reports false and shameful.
Anyansi Agwu said: “These are untrue reports. Very untrue, very misleading and very shameful. There are no such plans by supporters of the club to protest. What would anybody be protesting. No sane person would be protesting a genuine attempt by the Dr Okezie Ikpeazu led administration to develop Enyimba’s infrastructure and make us more competitive. A government that is not concerned about the welfare of a club will not embark on such a huge project in the face of the current economic condition of the country and in particular, Abia State. So it puzzles me how such a protest story can be cooked up.”
“Our supporters held no meeting to plan a protest, neither did they contact anyone to protest on their behalf. Our supporters left Calabar in a triumphant spirit after our victory against Akwa and are planning to be on the road to cheer the team in our next away game, so who is protesting? As a matter of fact, this group that calls itself Concerned Enyimba Supporters have no connection with Enyimba Football Club. We have never heard of them, so I urge the public to disregard any actions or words coming from the group.”
“I believe that if such group actually exist, their actions are mischievous and what they planned to do is nothing but a calculated attempt to undermine the great support of the governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu for our club. Enyimba reached the group stage of the CAF Champions League last season and has started well this season. Without the backing of the Abia State government, the club would not be where it is today. Don’t forget that Enyimba won her record seventh league title under this administration, so the signs are evident that we have a very supportive governor. Work in the Enyimba Stadium has reached eighty five percent, all that is left is for the grass to be laid and I believe that will happen very soon, so the supporters have no reason to protest, none at all.”
Anyansi Agwu further added that Enyimba playing away from home is not the first of its kind in the league, even as he called for patience.
“Other teams have played away from home in Nigeria, some for even three to four seasons, so Enyimba is not doing anything unusual. We have only been away for one season. Right now, we are in Calabar and we are doing well. I appreciate the fact that Aba fans would like to watch us play in Aba, but our not playing at home is only temporary. The government has not abandoned work, things are still moving forward, so I appeal to everyone to be patient and give their full support to the team so we can continue to do well. The people of Calabar have made us feel at home and I wish to thank our governor for maintaining full support for the team because it is not easy to play away from home. I also thank the government and people of Cross River State, especially the Cross River Sports Commission for their efforts as well as the Cross River State Football Association.”
“Enyimba is a team with a rich history and we have not come this far by being aggressive or volatile. We have always been a respectful side and cannot plan a protest against our number one supporter. I call on everyone to disregard the reports and continue to support and pray for the team,” Anyansi concluded.
