Rumbles in Kano as DSP Barau Jubrin’s donation tears NLO clubs apart

Posted : 04 April 2025

Nationwide League One (NLO) clubs under the aegis of the Nationwide League Clubs Kano Forum are embroiled in a dispute over the intervention funds distributed to clubs affiliated with the Forum by Deputy Senate President, DSP Senator Barau Jubrin.

The Senator, who represents Kano North, had generously paid the 2025 NLO registration fees for the clubs supposedly affiliated with the Forum.

However, things took a dramatic turn when the chairman of Abba Gida Gida Football Club, Mustapha Tiyya, fired the first salvo that ignited the dispute now threatening the unity of the Forum.

Tiyya released a voice note in which he accused the leadership of the Forum of breaching trust and dishonesty.

Tiyya, who made the outburst, said: “The leadership of this Forum has breached the trust of we, the members of this Forum.”

He further alleged that “You, the leaders of our Forum, traveled to Abuja to collect monetary donations from DSP Barau Jubrin on our behalf, yet you betrayed our trust and betrayed yourselves.”

Mustapha accused the leadership of the Forum of collecting N20 million from Senator Barau. Out of that amount, he alleged that N4 million was diverted for personal use by the Forum’s executive committee.

Tiyya, speaking on behalf of the aggrieved NLO clubs, stated that from now on, their intention is to expose the misdeeds of the Forum’s leadership in what he described as "the mother of all battles against injustice and breach of trust."

“For years, we spent heavily to run our clubs, but who gave us the money we needed to run them? Now, you went to Abuja to collect donations on our behalf and distributed it unjustifiably.”

In a swift response, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nationwide League Clubs Kano Forum, Ibrahim Usman Arzai, a.k.a. Na’alungu, dismissed the allegations as baseless and unfounded.

He explained that the funds donated by Senator Barau were intended for clubs whose league registration with the Nationwide League One (NLO) was up to date.

Arzai said, “It is a rule that once you fail to register with the league, or, let me put it this way, once you fail to meet your obligations to feature in the league for one season, you lose your registration and your eligibility to benefit from such donations.”

He pointed out that “Any club that did not benefit from the intervention funds did not meet the required conditions, including having up-to-date registration with the NLO.”

“20 clubs failed to meet the requirements to benefit from the Barau donation because they did not meet their obligations, such as failing to play in the league last season. The donor opted to consider only clubs that were up to date with their NLO registration.”

Arzai affirmed that disciplinary measures have been imposed on Mustapha Tiyya, the chairman of Abba Gida Gida Football Club.

He said Tiyya allegedly resorted to the use of abusive language and engaged in acts that were considered unsporting, violating the regulations governing the affairs of the Forum.

Arzai added, “During the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, we received N96 million in support funds, which were shared equally among all Nationwide League clubs. This really helped the clubs.”

He continued, “Since the arrival of the current NNPP government under His Excellency Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, we have written several times to request support, but two years later, we have been rejected and disappointed.”

“This time, we approached Senator Barau, who came to our rescue, and all the clubs deserving of the intervention funds from DSP Barau have received theirs without political bias, including Kwankwasiyya FC, which received their share.”

“For Tiyya FC to claim they were excluded due to bias or political alliances is a ruse. I challenge those with NNPP or Kwankwasiyya alliances to convince the current Kano state NNPP government to support NLO clubs, as was the tradition before the current Kano state government,” Arzai concluded.

It should be recalled that Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity, Senator Barau Jibrin, had paid the NLO registration fees for 52 clubs in Kano.

DSP Barau is quoted as saying, “Nothing is too much to engage our youths. I’m paying the registration fees for all 52 clubs today."

“The more, the merrier. Let them all participate in the NLO. As a footballer and a midfielder while growing up, I know the importance of participating in competitions like this.”

“Aside from my club – Barau FC, I will continue to support other clubs to succeed. Football has many benefits, and it is very lucrative. We know how footballers are building health facilities, educational institutions, and places of worship, among others,” said Barau Jubrin.

Rumbles in Kano as DSP Barau Jubrin’s donation tears NLO clubs apart

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics