Rev. Samuel Ikpea, National Chairman, Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), during the inauguration of the club’s new set of musical instruments at its secretariat in Lagos on Thursday night, April 29, 2021
The Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) has inaugurated musical equipment to enable it adequately support the country’s national teams at 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 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 was bought seven years ago.
He said some of the forthcoming competitions included the 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, 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 normal competitions were gradually returning.
A guest and an admirer of the club, Kunle Adebiyi, recalled with excitement that when the game was going against the Super Eagles, the supporters had always lifted their spirit.
He promised to contribute to moving the club to a higher pedestal even though he was not a full member.
An old member of the club, Alhaji Mabadeje Rasak, commended Ikpea’s leadership for moving the club forward and promised to continue to support the executive committee at all times.
Reacting, the National Band Leader, Oluwayemisi James, expressed joy at the development, saying 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.
“I want to applaud the leadership of Ikpea and the present executive, it has brought innovations to the 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 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.