Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youth and Sports has suspended the management and technical crew of Dakkada Football Club indefinitely following the gross dereliction of duty and mismanagement, culminating in the fine and banishment of the club to Benin City by the League Management Company (LMC).
In a release dated 6th January 2022, signed by the Director of Sports, Elder Ifiok Duff and made available to Rulers’ World, the Ministry frowned at the unprofessional manner the club management handled match protocols before, during and after the Nigeria Professional Football League matchday four encounter against Remo Stars Football Club of Ikenne played last Sunday in Uyo.
According to the release, “The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youth and Sports and indeed the football community was taken aback by the media frenzy that accompanied the manhandling of a match official by an assistant coach of Dakkada FC.
“The people of Akwa Ibom State have zero-tolerance for indiscipline and barbarism, acts that cast opprobrium on the image of sports in the state.”
Continuing, the release reads, “In as much as we regret the heavy punishment on Dakkada Football Club, we hope that the LMC will be consistent in this regard no matter whose ox is gored, aimed at not only sanitising the league but serving as a deterrence for future occurrence.”
The Ministry, however, apologised to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), League Management Company (LMC), the affected match official as well as the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) and indeed the generality of the Nigerian football community for the condemnable occurrence which is not in the state’s character as witnessed by the arrest and detention of the perpetrator of the heinous act, Mr Sunday Etefia.
Meanwhile, the following officials have been drafted in to help run the club in the interim. They are; Coach Windy Abasiakan, Coach Daniel Japhet, Mr Etido Inyang and Comrade Edidiong Stephen.
Retained technical crew members are Coach Danlami, Nsikak Pius (Masseur), Akan Jumbo (Kit Manager), Ukeme Afangideh (Physiotherapy), Ubong Daniel (Curator) and Uduak Lawrence (Academy Coach).
