Adams Mohammed: How I will revive and reposition football in FCT
Prior to the now postponed FCT Football Association elections, former FIFA licensed agent and current 2nd Vice Chairman of the FA, Adams Mouktar Mohammed spoke with Trust Sports detailing his plans to revive football in the nation’s capital city, if elected as the chairman. The proprietor of Hearts FC also said his board will develop players who would play for the cadet national teams and the Super Eagles.
You are the 2nd vice chairman of the FCT FA so why the interest in becoming the chairman? It is a work in progress and the current chairman has served two terms. He has done his best and we have supported him. We feel a fresh start would take it to the next level and I feel I have something different and special to bring on board.
I have been in football for twenty years; I came in as a FIFA license agent. I was the first from the north and one of the few in Nigeria. I have had relatively very good success. I nurtured the likes of Macauley Chrisantus who later went on to win the World Cup in South Korea. I had three players in that team and afterwards I developed many players for Nigeria U17, U20 and the Super Eagles.
After that I resigned, I came into administration to contribute, I think I have something fresh and new, from the business world I have ideas, I think I can take the FCT FA to the next level in terms of creating platforms thereby improving the facilities which are very deplorable at the moment. We want to finish those stadiums, we want to bring sponsorships, and we want to develop players who can play up to the Super Eagles level within the FCT area.
As part of the outgoing board, what were your roles and why did you not fix these things as the 2nd Vice Chairman?
That is a very good question. Basically, as a vice, you are like a spare tyre. As a deputy governor, you are just like a spare tyre; it is what your boss gives you that you do.
But I am not saying that it was not a success but it is also a learning curve for me. I tried to be obedient and not to cause issues. In the first sitting of the board, I mentioned that we need to do certain things; I suggested for a threepoint agenda. That we should look at three things we want to achieve and if we achieve two out of the three, I think we are a success. Unfortunately, we did not do it that way and your hands are tied. In a board there is always a voting process and if majority don’t seem to align with you, you don’t sway.
We have lived with that but this is the time for me to come out and express myself properly because at that time, if I insisted on doing anything, it will appear as if I am unsettling the board.
Are you prepared to use your personal money to sponsor the FA which often says ‘there is no money’?
Yes, why not. But I cannot do everything alone. What I know is that I am willing to take charge and lead the front because it is when you are ready to commit yourself, others will commit. I think we can attract funding and sponsorship. There are many institutions and corporate bodies that want to put in their money but you must create that platform for they to come in otherwise they will not give you their money.
If we package ourselves and do proper presentation, the money will role in. We did not even participate in the last world cup where Coca Cola did a fan show programme and sponsored fans, nobody knew about it. There are many opportunities we missed because we are not alert and we are not vibrant. We have missed out on international programmes.
Can you share your thoughts on how you want to rebrand the FCT league?
The league is not functioning the way it should and I think that with the ideas, proper planning and experts on top of it, you will see a fantastic league whereby the league will pay for itself and will even be able to afford to give the league media coverage.
Running a league without media coverage, you are wasting your time. The sponsors are never going to come. The media is number one; you should have the media on top of the league. If the sponsors hear all the radios talking about the league, the online writing about it and all the television stations showing the clips, they will rush in because that is where they want their money to go in because they know they will get value and their brand will align with it.
If you don’t have any media coverage, you are wasting your time; people come, play their match and leave but there is no end result.
The incumbent chairman is said to be a contestant in the race. Going by the statues of the FCT FA, is it possible for him to go for a third term?
Well, I am not sure about that, I have not looked at that clause. I have heard people say a lot of things. To be honest, I am not concentrating on that. People have said that civil servants are not supposed to contest for an election like him. I do not know. I have not looked at it because I am not bothered about it. In as much as the process is free and fair and so far, everything is going on well.
How confident are you in winning this election?
I am very confident because I have paid my dues. All the people that I have canvassed for, I think I made a good impression in them and most importantly, I don’t have a dent on my name. I have integrity and truth coming in, I have a record. I have track records; I am a doer. People who know me know my ability and what I can deliver.