Special Assistant to the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces on Grassroots Sports Development, Mr. Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, as well as Brigadier-General Stanley Eze and retired AIG Wilson Inalegwu are among participants at a five-day workshop on safety and security at football stadia that began in the Federal Capital, Abuja on Tuesday.
The workshop, which is at the behest of the Safety and Security department of the Confederation of African Football, has the objectives of promoting safe stadium culture during international matches on the African continent, and to ensure that all officials of CAF’s Member Associations responsible for the delivery of safety and security at match venues in Africa have the proper training to function effectively.
The sessions are being presided over by Zakarihya Diabate of the CAF Safety and Security Department, with the support of Ugandan Humphrey Mandu Wantenga and Nigerian CAF security officers Okey Obi, Barnabas Joro, Queen Otarakpo and Joan Efugh.
Apart from the Chairman and members of the NFF Security Committee, and selected foredogs of safety and security in the country’s stadia, representatives have also come from all the 20 Clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League, viz Rivers United, Remo Stars, Kano Pillars, Enugu Rangers, Bendel Insurance, Akwa United, Shooting Stars, Abia Warriors, Plateau United, Lobi Stars, Nasarawa United, Enyimba FC, Heartland FC, Sunshine Stars, Katsina United, El-Kanemi Warriors, Bayelsa United, Niger Tornadoes, Kwara United and Ikorodu City.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the NFF Security Committee and Member of the NFF Executive Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli thanked all participants for taking time to grace the workshop: “The knowledge and expertise you are going to gain here will drive us towards excellence in security and safety of lives and properties at match venues.” He also thanked CAF and the NFF for their tireless efforts in promoting safe stadia across the continent.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, who declared the workshop open in the absence of the President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau who was away in Morocco, praised CAF for organizing the workshop in Nigeria and charged participants to internalize everything they are taught over the period of the workshop.
PHOTO: Kalli (left) with Dr Sanusi (second right), Diabate (second left) and Wantenga (right)
