The Niger State Government on Tuesday named Coach Hamza Abara, Assistant Coach, Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna as the Acting Technical Adviser of the club after Coach Benard Ogbe resigned from the position on Monday.
Emmanuel Babur, the state Commissioner for Sports Development, announced this to newsmen in Minna.
He said: “After due consideration, we have approved the appointment of Coach Hamza Abara as the interim coach and Technical Adviser of the club.”
Babur said the ministry consulted with the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, before Abara was appointed.
He said the measure was taken to avoid a vacuum and to ensure good performance for the club in the ongoing abridged 2018/2019 Nigeria Professional Football League.
The commissioner urged the management of the club, technical crew and players to work hard in order to better their performance toward justifying government’s investment.
He said: “You have to work hard in order to move to the top of the league.”
The government had issued a threat on January 28 to sack the management and technical crew if they failed to win five consecutive matches from the date of the directive.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ogbe tendered his resignation letter on Monday to avoid being sacked after the club’s 3-1 defeat against Katsina United in Katsina immediately the directive became operational.
The club has so far played five matches, losing two away and drawing three at home.
Aliko Mustapha, the club’s captain had decried the overall performance of the team so far, but promised that it would make up the lost ground.
Mustapha said: “We are working hard and at the same time praying to win our matches because since the league started we have not received wining bonuses because we have not won any matches.
“We will definitely improve because it is our business as we are playing to earn money.”
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