By Amaechi Agbo

On Tuesday, September 15, 2020, Kenneth  Nwamucha was purportedly elected  as Delta State Football Association chairman following a ‘landslide victory’ in the board election, held at the indoors sports hall of the Stephen Keshi stadium Asaba

It the claimed election, Nwamucha polled 26 votes against his opponent, Mr Michael Anemeka who got a  vote.

A former Warri Wolves chairman and a senior special assistant to the Delta State governor Steve  Cole emerged the new Vice Chairman, with Azuka Ogosi returning as the association’s secretary.
while the following persons were also elected into the board, Harrison Ocholor, David Igho, Neville Bekederemor, Azuka Chiemeka, Lucky Sunday and Sam Sodje.

However in a swift reaction, the Chairman, Delta State Football Association, Edema Fuludu has described the purported election conducted by the normalisation committee appointed by the Nigeria football Federation into the executive board of the state’s FA as a charade declaring that ‘peace cannot existing the face of injustice, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report

Mr Fuludu who disclosed this during a WhatsApp interview Tuesday said the purported election conducted by normalisation committee appointed by the Nigeria football Federation into executive board is illegal.

Narrating the story of the imbroglio that has engulfed the state’s FA recently, Mr Fuludu went memory lane to tell how the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick made promise that he never fulfilled.

The former Super Eagles star noted that in the build up to the initial election in 2019 that returned him as duly elected Delta State FA chair, how Amaju played politics that plugged the states FA into its current unpalatable situation.

Read his narration below unedited:

“Summary of the story.
2014 after Amaju elections in Warri as President of NFF, he told me and those around that I am taking over from him in Delta. (Amaju Pinnick was the Delta State FA chairman when he won the NFF Presidency)

“Three weeks to the DFA elections Amaju called me to please not go for Chairman that it’s Jay Jay Okocha because he was his vice and the succession plan is vice to chairman. I concurred having also received a call from the bedroom of Tony Okowa.

“I agreed because I had done a wonderful job in running a state League that was dead before with the smallest of budget

“Jay Jay was put in a one chance bus. He had been promised Chairman of Sports commission and he spent good millions in the governor’s election movement. One chance bus means immediately the governor won the brother said sports Commission is for him so Okocha was tactically pushed to DFA.

“Okocha and I were in the UK same hotel ten days on cosmetic Amaju NFF technical study group. So that’s where Okocha opened up to me and why he was not happy

“Okocha left haven officially handed over to me his vice to act. I became Acting Chairman. Meanwhile Tony Okowa had earlier fought Owumi Dave (Davison Owumi is the current Rangers FC of Enugu General Manager) out of Warri Wolves immediately he came in and has not even been sworn into office.

“He invited me to become GM of Wolves. I told him I don’t work without a written agreement. Una know say I go small school so he said no problems immediately he is sworn in money won’t be a problem to me. I said ok because my wife said honey don’t be rigid just start he will honour his words. Na so I enter one chance bus too😀😀

“After two months of meticulous work making most players who are owed by Amaju regime to stay put and they trusted my word because I had also worked as Director of Football under Amaju previously. That’s another story.

“So LMC called for coaches and GMs contract as required. I and Sam Okpodu the coach were hurriedly sent for to move to Asaba to discuss terms.
We got there and insult and impunity started to rain first with Okpodu. Tony Okowa told Okpodu he will add to his former salary of #250k to encourage him as chief coach because a sponsorship has been got for an English coach who will be earning #3m or more a month.

“Okpodu was angry but he was also a gentleman. They quarreled and he practically drove Okpodu out of his office. I was left. I negotiated the players salaries or wages and the highest was #660k and the min (minimum) was #300k. I still have the spreadsheet in my system. The Chairman asked having tried to settle down how much I need as remuneration. I said #1m before other add ons. He shouted WARRI you people from Warri I plan to give you salary of an SA to governor. I asked how much is that he said #250k. Hmmm I told him GM here is General manager not General messenger.  I told him oga I no fit fight is that what it is he said yes. I carry my small file and left. How dare ordinary Fuludu walk out on a golden job offered by a god?

“That was how I became arrogant man, not amenable to instructions etc. Remember I was still vice chairman DFA. I quietly went to organise our Aiteo cup as I was Chairman organising committee

Problem 2;  the state teams crashed (out) in round of 16 or 8 and I was held responsible. By God this is not true. I don’t control referees and their players

So I am now in his (Tony Okowa) very good books.

“I became Acting after Jay Jay left so Aiteo reach again. I went looking for funds. The two editions under Okocha, Jay Jay himself funded it. I went sourcing. Not one board member sourced for a dime and sincerely going into semi finals I was hard up. I no get money like Jay Jay na 😀

“So one of his brothers in the board, Sunday Lucky approached me to go and see oga because he has talked with him and he actually is just harsh with words not that he means it. So I went and the budget was #400k I told him. He just laughed looked at me and said I will give you from my pocket. Thanks I said and told secretary to collect am out. That was the only money I got from government as it is.

“Later accusations of fund embezzlement came on my doorsteps running towards the elections we later had that they have decided it’s not recognized

*Coming to the elections:*
immediately after Russia 2018 as I came back, ‘Fuludu must go started’ renting the air. They conscripted my brother Victor Ikpeba and promised him Chairman of the board…

Continues…