By Oparaugo Ngozi

Former international Chikelue Iloenyosi has revealed that the creation of All Nigerian Players’ Union was to give players especially retired footballers a sense of belonging backed with good welfare packages.

Iloenyosi who is the chairman Board of Trustees of the new players’ union with headquarters in Abuja made this known when the executive members of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) FCT chapter led by Mr. Ndubueze Chidoka paid him a courtesy visit.

The ex-player turned administrator was honoured by sports writers during the visit in Abuja, a special recognition he dedicated to a governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom Akan Udofia.

Iloenyosi, founder of 042 Football Legends Association in Nigeria used the opportunity to make some clarifications.

He said the newly established players’ union had already undertaken hospital bills and other essential welfare delivery for members unlike the Tijani Babangida-led Professional Players Union of Nigeria that choose “to run secret affair against former footballers.”

Iloenyosi, a senior special assistant to the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick said he has never been in contention or enmity with anyone, but he was always driven by passion to help develop Nigerian football.

He said, “85% of former Nigerian players are poor, because they were not professionals. Some who are rich have some other things that they are using to help their family.

“Players union is not about federation, it’s about how you put smile on your colleagues’ face, how many of them have NGO that is supporting people. Both previous World Cup and Nation’s Cup, I gave my slots for other people to go.

“As an ex-player how many people have you put smile on their face? I created football association singlehandedly funded by me, nobody is giving me any dime. We have 850 people on the platform…”

On the forthcoming NFF elective Congress slated for September 2022, Iloenyosi enjoined critics of Nigerian football “to see it as an opportunity to contest and carry out their lofty ideas when they eventually win.

“When you want to control football, you must run in an election to carry out  those vision, you must be inside the system to fight the system…”

On Football Association (FA) election debacle in Anambra state, Iloenyosi who contested the position of chairman alleged that the then governor Willy Obiano connived with some stakeholders to scuttle his intention of repositioning football in the state.

Earlier, SWAN FCT chairman, Mr Ndubueze Chidoka, charged Iloenyosi to be steadfast in his role as ANPU BOT chairman.

The FCT SWAN Chairman also spoke of the need for a closer collaboration between the sporting media and other relevant stakeholders in the football fraternity.