Football legends in Nigeria under the platform of the ” Nigeria Football Legends Project” have commenced initiatives to use Football as a tool to promote Peace and Unity in Nigeria as well as the development of players’ welfare.
The Project is designed primarily to use football and memories of Nigeria’s golden moments to foster greater peace and unity among the people of Nigeria – across ethnic, religious and political boundaries, with the people of Nigeria in the driving seat.
Steering committee with brand ambassador, ex-international, Peter Rufai
Speaking to platinumnewsng.com, the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Nigeria Football Legends Project (NFLP), Nigeria Ex international, Mr Clement Temile said the Nigeria Football Legends Project is initiated to utilize the enormous goodwill garnered by the country’s footballers to engender a symbiotic balance by promoting peace and national unity while also providing welfare and means of sustenance to the footballers especially those in need.
The 1984 Nations Cup Golden Boot awardee who doubles as the Vice President of the Players Union noted that the key role of football in our efforts to build and sustain national cohesion cannot be over-emphasized.
Steering committee with chairman of Delta state sports commission, Tonobok Okowa
“Sports in our land, especially football have proven to be an indisputable factor in the promotion and sustenance of peace, mutual coexistence and unity in our nation.”
NFPL committee members with Project brand Ambassador, ACP Chioma Ajunwa
“It is only during a football match involving our national team that the division created amongst us by religion, ethnicity and social class is reduced to nothing. One now wonders why the footballers who have contributed to this important unification are left to rot in poverty and want after retirement.”
Steering committee with Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties to the Ekiti State Governor, Omowunmi Ogungbaibi
The Project Stakeholders and Supersports in collaboration with its Peace partners, seek to drive a people-inspired and people-driven campaign for the need for Nigerians to reaffirm their faith in Project Nigeria by embracing unity, peace and progress.
“FOOTBALL FOR PEACE”, a vehicle of the NIGERIA FOOTBALL LEGENDS campaign which will be led by the nation’s distinguished football legends, Chioma Ajunwa; Peter ‘Dodo Mayana’ Rufai; Clement Temile; Edema Fuludu; Tijani Babangida; Mutiu Adepoju and a host of others, on a tour to all parts of the nation.
The train will also be received by traditional rulers, trade union heads, captains of industry, and government functionaries amongst others. The peace tour is planned to culminate at a well-coordinated ‘Legends Play for a Peace’ football match for national peace, will feature ex-Super Eagles players drawn from the 1980 Nations Cup winning team, 1994 Nations Cup winning team, 1996 Olympics football gold-winning team and the 2013 Nations Cup winning team.
Steering committee with Nigeria Football living legend, Chief Segun Odegbami (MON).
The football match scheduled to hold on the 10th of December, 2022, at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, will immediately be followed by the Legends Nite of Golden Moments at the Civic Center, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos, on the 11th of December featuring a classic rendition of the Legends Song for Unity and the unveiling of the Legends “Unity Football Jersey”.
The Project which will also give birth to the Nigeria Football Legends Welfare Scheme is conceptualized to bring succour to the needs and welfare of our footballers especially the retired players most of whom find it difficult to put food on their table or to provide shelter for their families.
To achieve this, the football stakeholders stated herein decided to institutionalize a trust fund to be called “The Nigeria Football Legends Welfare Trust Fund.”
The foundation is projected to be registered as a charity with the under-listed objectives:
A. To raise funds which shall be channelled into the welfare of ex-footballers who cannot take care of their personal needs.
B. To train ex-footballers in various skills that would support them in becoming employable.
C. To raise grants that would support ex-footballers in establishing their businesses.
Chairman NFLP Steering Committee ex-international Clement Temile
D. To provide support to ex-footballers in their time of need to meet their needs including medical and education necessities.
E. To source for and secure contracts that would enable ex-footballers to use their names to operate as brand ambassadors for corporate bodies.
F. To work with sports academies, schools and agencies that promote football and secure appointments for the ex-footballers as managers & coaches in such institutions.
G. To promote the general well-being, welfare and