Lagos — Joe Amene is a board member of the Nigeria Football League (NFL) and the chairman of the Local Organizing Committee on security at the recently concluded Globacom Premier League Super Four Play-offs held at the Teslim Balogun stadium, Lagos. He is also the vice-chairman of Gabros International Football Club of Nnewi - under which platform he got into NFL board as one of the two representatives from the South East zone. He spoke recently to our Chief Sports Reporter, BANTUS UGORJI, on a number of issues concerning Nigeria football, its development and way forward; among other national issues. Excerpts:

Background as a sports administrator

It all began around1980s when I was the proprietor of Evergreen Football Club, an Onitsha-based team; and it transcends up till 2000, when I also put in place a Niger-based football club. Since then, I have been a member of the Anambra State Football Association and from there I was elected into the Nigeria Football League (NFL) Board from South-East.

I don't really have a football family in terms of background but I know that my relations are also into full-fledged football.

I'm also a football manager and I have managed football for a long time prior to my current position in the NFL board.

Moral standard of Nigeria football

We must appreciate the fact that what Nigeria football is now, is not what it was prior to the coming on board of the present NFL members.

In fact, there were rots in the system then, but there is a kind of transformation now in the NFL. We're indeed trying to reform Nigeria football.

NFL through its reform agenda is painstakingly trying to bring back all those glorious days of Nigeria football; and we cannot do it without instilling discipline into the system.

That is why the NFL board took bold initiative of assessing matches and looking at the performances of the players, officials and referees including match commissioners in the just ended season.

We also looked at the crowd and promptly attended to their problems. This year for instance, except for one or two unfortunate incidents that happened in some league venues, it wasn't what it used to be.

In fact, without discipline, people running these clubs can short-change or take laws into their hands thereby bringing about degeneration of the system or do anything that could dent the image of football in the country.

Dwindling standard of football in Anambra state

In the past, Anambra state has really produced many national team players mainly discovered from the grassroots level. Anambra state has given us some premier league clubs but this is not so now and this is primarily because those hitherto premier league clubs are privately owned.

It takes a lot of money to run football clubs in this country. So, Udoji United, Jasper United were once in the premier league but today they are no longer there. The problem is not far-fetched.

In Anambra state, all the past administrators or governments have shown non-challant attitude concerning football and development of sports. You'll be surprised that the state cannot boast of any standard government owned stadium. It starts from the foundation and ends with the foundation. Up till now, the state cannot boast of any standard stadium; even a 10,000 capacity built stadium. And then, the good one we used to have like the Rojenny Tourists stadium; its location and the road leading to the place has been so bad thereby making it a little bit difficult for people living either in Nnewi or Onitsha to move into there.

However, we're happy now that the road has been repaired but it remains the issue of orientation. Even at that, it suffices to mention that the infrastructure at Rojenny is fast depleting.

We're also happy that the current government of Anambra state is interested in sports and has been talking football. Indeed, we do hope his administration will give fillip to sports and change the face of football in particular in the state.

Assessment of 2007 Globacom/NFL Super Four competition

My view and NFL joy is that the four teams that qualified for the Super Four competition in the first instance emerged as the best two teams from each group. The likes of Enyimba and Gombe United qualified from Group A, while Wikki Tourists and Rangers emerged from Group B respectively.

And then, when we're coming to Lagos for this Super Four, the game was very open except for Enyimba who have shown that they're real champions. At the end of the competition, we're able to say that the three topmost teams are indeed true representatives of Nigeria. The best two teams that qualified for the Champions League (Enyimba Int'l of Aba and Gombe United) and Wikki Tourists, who will fly Nigeria's flag next year in the CAF Confederation Cup, would give the country better representation than what happened this year.

Enyimba no doubt, has made a name in Africa and other qualifiers for the continent's show piece are also expected to give Nigeria the best next season. And talking about standard, the matches played by these teams were very technical thereby giving the impression that Nigerian league has arrived or better still, we can now beat our chest to say we're arriving with the standard exhibited at the Teslim Balogun stadium, Lagos.

Security magic at Super Four competition

There was this general insecurity feeling prior to the Super Four competition. That feeling was an off-shoot of the ugly incidents that occurred when the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos was officially opened by the Lagos state government. I was physically present on the day of the commissioning ceremony in company of other members of the NFL security committee. So, it took us some time to study and understand the Lagos environment. At the end of the period, we agreed among ourselves that security of lives and properties at the venue will pose a problem to the Super Four contest. The question of how to contend this security problem becomes the fundamental thing in our resolves.

In fact, we learnt a lot about the kind of security problem to expect during the competition. Thereafter, we perfected and executed a master-plan that guaranteed the safety of fans, players, organizers and passers-by.

Luckily, the Lagos state government through our contact with the Lagos State Football Association and all the stakeholders in football in the state said we should use the Super Four competition to test-run what they called the 'Stewards'.

Thereafter, we said to ourselves that if this group is to be the problem in Lagos as people perceived, let us make use of them. At the end of the competition, and having used the Stewards (Area Boys) positively, we had better results.

Of course, we have to appreciate the fact that we had heavy number of Police personnel, military personnel and other unspecified personnel including civilians; and all these added more impetus to security.

We also penetrated suspected troubled spots and arrested pick pockets, phone snatchers, locked out suspected hooligans beyond the vicinity of the stadium and clubs' camps. In fact, Lagos state government need to be commended for the brilliant measure it took in carrying 'Area Boys' along because the experiment of using these social miscreants called 'Stewards' yielded dividends or paid off well.

So, having used the 'Stewards' effectively and successfully, we were happy for it and we're now beating our chest saying since we can handle this in Lagos, there is no place in this country we cannot handle insecurity problems.

I wasn't surprised either because last year, I was also the chairman of the Security Committee that handled the Super Four play-off in Abuja. I am fully involved in the system (security matters) and have this orientation often.

Lagos state and Stewards

I can assure you that what the Lagos state government did was to encourage all those 'Area Boys' in a more positive way. The government wanted to know and identify all those who are in that cadre so that at the end of the day, they will see how best to offer them meaningful employment; make use of them not just in football but in other areas. They have made a test-run; it worked out for them, so I hope they'll expand it.

Special package for Stewards

I may not be easily disposed to talk about those incentives because they are classified, but then the final thing is that we made them feel at home and by making them to understand that this is their environment and place, hence if anything goes bad, things will also go bad for them.

So you have to give them that orientation to make them understand that this situation is also in their hands and their own destiny is in their hands. Of course, they need encouragement and that we also did but we didn't go out of our way to manage them. In fact, we thank God because Lagos state government also gave us some backing in that direction.

Financial implications

I know that we prudently managed less than three million naira (N3m) in security and not ten million (N10m) as reported by a section of the media.

Security training/experience

Security matters are relative and I don't think anybody has a monopoly on security. First of all, we must give glory to God for giving us wisdom in certain areas. I want to give special credit to my chairman (NFL boss, Chief Oyuki Obaseki). He is also a security-conscious person. He's a blessing to Nigeria football and may God keep him. He understands this business and that's all I can say for now. I'm not trying to be conservative, but let me keep certain things. But then, I'm well grounded in the sense that all through my life, I've been security conscious. I am a member of the National Crime Prevention Campaign. I belong to other security agencies that are not really uniformed; I have been reading security magazines, attended different seminars on security. And like I told you earlier, I managed the security committee of the last Super Four held in Abuja, which was also successful. But then, Lagos really posed the real challenge and we can only say thanks be to God for the success.

Advice to NFA on Coca-Cola FA Cup contest

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) should borrow a leaf from whatever we did at this level. If they have their way, they should at least improve on what we have done or expand in all that we've done. I will also advice them to look inwards and if they write us for assistance, we would not hesitate to help them organize security as far as any competition is concerned in Lagos state.

Although, the FA Cup is not our responsibility, but we won't hesitate to pass on special security tips or information to the NFA should they ask us.