Isong Isang breaks silence *Reveals why he resigned from Akwa United

*Says he never collected salary as Chairman
*I buy tickets to watch matches since I left office

BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

A former Chairman of Akwa United Football Club, Obong Isong Isang has made known why he resigned from the club. Speaking with THE INK last week, Obong Isong Isang said so many factors contributed to his resignation and that along the line he lost interest in running the club due to infiltration of interests by some people.   

He also disclosed that throughout his tenure as Akwa United Chairman, he never collected salary from the club. He said since he had doubled as the Special Assistant on Sports to the former governor Godswill Akpabio, he was only being paid as the Special Assistant on Sports from government, and not as Akwa United Chairman. “I served Akwa United for free. 

I never collected salary as Akwa United Chairman. I was paid as the Special Assistant on Sports to the former governor Godswill Akpabio. Not as if money wasn’t coming, but the little money that came from government was for the running of the club.” 

Isong Isang further disclosed that when he took over Akwa United, there was no proper handing over note and the team was owing player’s salaries for some months, the then accountant as well as other administrative staff of the club but he worked tirelessly to ensure all the debts owed by the club were paid. 

He said though the team used to had good approvals from the government but founds was not released on time for the smooth running of the club which led to him borrowing money to fund the club.

Isang, a two-term Chairman listed some of his achievements which include; setting up a proper administration for the club, instructed all players to open a bank account, stopped all irregularities in player’s transfer deals, rented and set up an office for the club, bring in more indigenous players into the team, paid player’s salaries and other entitlements regularly as well as stopped issue of arbitration in the club.    

He said the major problem he faced during his tenure was that money was not coming into the club on time and also the team could not play intercontinental matches which would have attracted big names players to the club.

The former House of Assembly member hinted that during his tenure, he persuaded government that a management board should be formed for the club, saying that it was illegal for a premier league club to have run without a proper board. He added that Akparawa Nse Ubeh was drafted into Akwa United because of his link and connection with the then governor, Chief Goswill Akpabio as the International President of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio. 

“We brought in Nse Ubeh into the board as the Vice Chairman because he was then the International President of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio so that we could use him as a link person to Godswill Akpabio as well as get the governor’s attention. If not for this, He wouldn’t have been the Vice Chairman and later became the chairman of the club.”   

Furthermore, he stressed that he set up the team’s structure that won the FA cup after he left the club even as he said that he took the team to the FA semi final in the previous year before the team finally emerged champion in a later year. 

While commending the good work of the present management of the club led by Mr. Paul Bassey, Obong Isang suggested that team should bring in more indigenous players in the next football season. He called on the fans to be patient with the team as well as called for more supports for Paul Bassey from sports stakeholders. According to him, “The current Chairman, Mr. Paul Bassey and his management crew have done a good job, but they should bring more players from Akwa Ibom State into the team. During my tenure, I insisted that more players should come from the State including the coaching crew. That really helped us in discovering talented players which we later sold them out.”

He used the opportunity to appeal for the club to do something in order to patronize and recognize former chairmen how had served the club. 

In his words, “Do you know that I buy my tickets to watch Akwa United home matches? Buying tickets is not even the problem, but for the fact that I served the club as a two-term Chairman and I still buy tickets to watch matches is something that calls for concern. 

I’m I not entitle to at least a free ticket as former chairman? But I don’t mind, because I love the team I always buy tickets to watch matches because I don’t want to be embarrassed at the gate. In fact, I’m the only former chairman who left the club and still go to watch Akwa United home matches.” He noted.