Joel Ajayi

The Proprietor of the FC One Rocket team based in Akwa Ibom state South-South Nigeria Rt. Hon Otuekong Nse Essien has revealed that his desire is to give a platform for more young Nigerian who don’t have the opportunity to exhibit their God-giving talent that will propel them to greatness in life.

NFF new board member Hon Essien stated this while speaking to Sports Journalists in Abuja where he talked about his journey into football and his plan for the young ones who don’t have the opportunity.

Rt. Hon. Essien, a soft spoken, gentleman who equally owned a football academy said that his passion to help the needy make him fast rack building of a stadium in his community, while many young footballer on his pay roll on Monthly basis.

According to him, we are trying to give the young people an opportunity to exhibit their God-giving talent.

“Life is about having a platform to exhibit what you can do in life and that is what we do for the young people.”

He equally identified capacity building, integrity and grassroots development as part of his innovation he is bringing on board for more growth and development of Nigeria football.

When asked what will be his contribution to the NFF? He replied: “By the grace of God, I am bringing the capacity that is the truth, I will bring integrity as well as grassroots development. That is why I have an academy, like said earlier, my academy supplies most players. So these younger people are there in the rural and urban areas. There is a need for us to give them a platform.

“I will also try to encourage the leadership of the federation to look into grassroots growth, thankfully NFF President said, he will not play with football grassroots development.

“We need to go back to the era when we had a state league, state league is not functioning anymore, I wish to also have a governor’s cup in my state, and these are the kinds of things I want to encourage.”

He however, identified fund, sponsorship and inability of the league to be on TV as challenges of football in the country, saying those challenges propel him to come into NFF board to contribute his quota toward football growth.

Speaking on the FC One Rocket team, he expressed that his target is to nurture the club to represent Nigeria in the continient of Africa and even beyond.

“Let me tell you, I envy people like Kunle Soname, that is my model, I want to be like him, look at the facilities he provided for CAF Cup, I want to be like him, have such magnificent stadium and also be able to go to Africa

“My desire for the club is to be in premier league and even represent Nigeria in the continent of Africa.”

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