By Amaechi Agbo

The president, Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick has been called upon to extend palliatives to the football family as the impact of coronavirus and government lockdown directives bites harder on the football sector, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

The Chairman of FCT Football Coaches Association, Godwin Bamigboye made the call on Wednesday.

Mr Bamigboye who commended the NFF’s intention to donate yam tubers as a palliative measure to cushion the effect of the lockdown as a result of Corvid-19 advised the president to show more commitment to his constituency.

He advised that the Nigeria Football Federation should make a deliberate effort to extend support to the various stakeholders in form of payment of salaries and allowances of coaches and allowances of national team players yet to be paid, including prompt payment of salaries to NFF staff in view of the Ramadan Fast starting soon.

He however advised the NFF President to show more commitment to his constituency as a well packaged plan or palliative gesture to the football family will go a long way to affect positively the lives of the citizens in the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

Mr Bamigboye who contested for the position of FCT FA Chairman during the June 2019 election, advised the federation to “make a deliberate effort to extend support to the various stakeholders in form of payment of salaries and allowances of coaches and allowances of national team players yet to be paid, including prompt payment of salaries to NFF staff in view of the Ramadan Fast starting soon.”

Mr Bamigboye further called on the League Management Company LMC, to as a matter of urgency show support to the NPFL clubs and players at this critical times.

“The League Management Company (LMC) and other Leagues should encourage clubs to pay salaries of players and officials to mitigate their suffering at this period of lockdown.

“I hope that the NFF will extend palliatives to its affiliates such as the Nigeria Football Coaches Association NFCA; Nigeria Football Referees Association, NRA; the National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers, NANPF and indeed the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria SWAN.”

He also suggested that the Football Family which has a very large percentage of youths of the Nigerian population should be seen as a target group by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in their effort to mitigate the suffering of Nigerians in this period of lockdown.