Emmanuel Akpan
Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youth and Sports has suspended the Management and Technical crew of Dakkada Football Club indefinitely following the gross dereliction of duty and mismanagement culminating in the fine and banishment of the club to Benin city by the League Management Company (LMC).
In a statement signed by the state’s Director of Sports, Elder Ifiok Duff, the Ministry frowned at the unprofessional manner the club’s management handled match protocols before, during and after the Nigeria Professional Football League match day four encounter against Remo Stars Football Club of Ikenne last Sunday in Uyo.
According to the him, “The Akwa Ibom state’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and indeed the football community was taken aback by the media frenzy that accompanied the manhandling of a match official by an assistant coach of Dakkada FC”.
“The people of Akwa Ibom state have zero tolerance for indiscipline and barbarism, acts that cast opprobrium on the image of sports in the state.”
Continuing, the statement reads, “In as much as we regret the heavy punishment on Dakkada Football Club, we hope that the LMC will be consistent in this regard no matter whose ox is gored, aimed at not only sanitizing the league but serving as a deterrent for future occurrences.”
The Ministry however, apologized to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), League Management Company (LMC), the affected match official as well as the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) and indeed the generality of the Nigerian football community for the condemnable occurrence which is not in the state’s character as witnessed by the arrest and detention of the perpetrator of the heinous act, Mr. Sunday Etefia.
Meanwhile, the following officials have been drafted in to help run the club in the interim. They are; Coach Windy Abasiakan, Coach Daniel Japhet, Mr. Etido Inyang and Comrade Edidiong Stephen.
Retained technical crew include; Coach Danlami, Nsikak Pius (Masseur), Akan Jumbo (Kit Manager), Ukeme Afangideh (Physiotherapy), Ubong Daniel (Curator) and Uduak Lawrence (Academy Coach).
