Sports

PEDDLING FALSEHOOD AND FRIVOLOUS CLAIMS, LAST KICK OF A DYING HORSE

Published

1 month ago

August 25, 2025

It has come to the attention of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) of the petitions submitted to the National Sports commission(NSC) against the use of the Federation’s constitution in the forthcoming elections into the the Board of the NCF scheduled for 2025.

As reported in some Media outlets on Monday 25th August 2025, petitions were submitted to the NSC explicitly by the FCT Cricket Association Chairman Engr. Emeka Onyeama and an Impostor Pakribo Darego who falsely claims to be the Chairman of Bayelsa Cricket Association.

DISCREPANCIES’

Four states were mentioned to have submitted petitions against the Federation which are Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi and Bayelsa, yet the only petitions received by the NSC was from the FCT Cricket Association Chairman and an illegal petition document from an Impostor from Bayelsa State.
FCT Cricket Association and caretaker Chairman Engr. Emeka Onyeama quietly but obtusely excluded from the narratives in the Media even though he officially signed and delivered the petition to the NSC.
The State Cricket Association Chairman of Enugu, Imo and the Official Chairman of the Bayelsa State Cricket Associations have vehemently denied any knowledge or involvement in the petitions which also indicates the desperation of the petitioners.

ADDRESSING KEY ISSUES CONTAINED IN THE PETITIONS

The first draft of the NCF Constitution was presented to the General Assembly during the full council meeting held on the 18th of December 2021 in Abuja where it was reviewed and adopted by the general assembly. As part of the proper governance structure as demanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on all member countries, a copy of the approved constitution was sent for their information and notice in 2022. The Federation sent a letter in 2023 to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) requesting for the acknowledgement of the approved constitution. In return the NCF received a letter of no objection from the NOC.

During the 2023 AGM, the full council was updated with the status of the approved constitution and responses from all the regulatory bodies where it was unanimously agreed to proceed.

In the 2024 AGM held on the 30th of November 2024, a representative of the Legal department of the NSC was in attendance and and affirmed that the constitution has been received by the NSC but made recommendations that, “ Corrections should be made from Federal Ministry of Sports to National Sports Commission” for accurate referencing. It was on the basis of adopted constitution that the full council reached a resolution that the electoral committee for the Federation elections should be set up.

In every Annual General and Full Council meeting organized by the Nigeria Cricket Federation for the last 4 years, members of the National Sports Commission have always attended in observatory capacity to witness proceedings of the AGM including the Federation’s constitution review processes.

It is noteworthy to mention that Engr. Emeka Onyeama has never attended any of these AGM meetings just like the Impostor from Bayelsa State and at no point were there objections from either parties even though the copy of the constitution was presented to every member present during review sessions.

Cricket is an Olympic Sport and it is not restricted to only full members, as a matter of fact, the process of qualification have not been communicated by the ICC and to also indicate that NCF is not a member of the NOC is evident of the gross ignorance by Engr. Emeka Onyeama and other clout chasers who unfortunately were somehow involved in cricket administration at some point.

For the Impostor Pakribo Darego, he is known in the Cricket space as the propagandist that is recruited by the unscrupulous’ to peddle false narratives and create fictional problems during board election period and as such, his submissions are naturally ignored and discarded to ensure peace and sanity in the system.

To members of the Media, the general public and our dear Cricket Family, please disregard and discredit the validity of the contents of the petition as they can be considered as mere distractions and impediments to the collective progress of our dear sport. The Nigeria Cricket Federation constitution is a document that allows all stakeholders in the game to have a chance in the election process of their leaders and also protect the integrity of the game.

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Sports

FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification

Published

2 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums

Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.

Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.

In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”

He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.

“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”

Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT

Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.

“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.

Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.

“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”

The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.

He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development

As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.

“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”

Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.

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