By Peter Ejiofor
The Nigeria Football Supporters Club
(NFSC) has inaugurated a new set of musical equipment to enable it ensure adequate support to the country’s national teams at future international and local competitions.
The instruments inaugurated on Thursday at the club’s monthly Star
Night and Investiture of new members included 10 drums and sticks and
six trumpets donated by one of its members based in Russia.
Inaugurating the instruments, the club’s National Chairman, Rev. Samuel Ikpea, noted that the equipment came timely as it would help the team to cheer the country’s teams at both continental and global competitions.
He said the drums and sticks the National Band had were old as the last set were bought seven years ago.
Some of the forthcoming competitions include the African Football Confederation (CAF) organised Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), beginning in January 2022 in Cameroon and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He recalled that he spoke with one of the members in Russia without disclosing his name about the dearth of musical equipment in the organisation.
“After I discussed with one of our members in Russia on Monday, April
12, 2021, and complained about the need for trumpets in the club as a matter of urgency, and he promised that he was going to respond.
“Surprisingly, I got a call from a delivery man on April 14, who said he had a package for the club; and when he got here, behold, it was six brand new trumpets from him.
“Another member has promised to donate four more drums soon to complement the ones the current executive just bought,’’ he said.
Ikpea appealed to the instrumentalists to make good use of the equipment to lift the spirit of the national team players even when the odds were against them in a match to eventually win.
He also appealed to corporate organisations and philanthropists to assist the club in its chosen call of cheering the national teams and promoting football, especially now the round leather game was gradually returning to normal competitions.
A guest and an admirer of the club, Kunle Adebiyi, recalled with excitment and nostalgia that at matches, when the game was going against the Super Eagles, the supporters had always lifted their spirit not to lose.
He promised to contribute to move the club to a higher pedestal even though he had yet to become a full member.
An old member of the club, Alhaji Mabadeje Rasak, extolled the sterling qualities of Ikpea’s leadership in moving the club forward and promised to continue to support the incumbent executive committee at all times.
Reacting, the national Band Leader, Oluwayemisi James, expressed joy
at the development, recalling that the instruments they had were bought in 2010 during the World Cup in South Africa and the last was in 2014 during World Cup in Brazil.
He said the new instruments would ease the stress the instrumentalists endured while playing the old ones, noting that they would not only be easier to play but would help to communicate with fans at match venues.
“I want to applauded the leadership of Ikpea and the present executive, it has brought innovations to club. He has galvanised the membership to work towards one goal of supporting the Super Eagles and promoting football in general.
“My team, the instrumentalists, will remain grateful to the incumbent
leadership of the NFSC and pray that God will continue to direct the national chairman rightly for the good of our club,’’ James said.
The band tested the instruments to the delight of the members who took to dancing and singing, replicating their skillful displays at match venues.
