NFF mourns the death of retired civil servant and technocrat, Alhaji Abba Yola

Nigeria Football Federation has expressed profound shock and grief at the death early on Friday morning of retired technocrat and one-time Chief of Staff to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Abba Abdullahi Yola.

Alhaji Yola was reported to have given up the ghost after a period of illness.

Yola, a highly-experienced civil servant, served at various times as Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports (Zone 6), special assistant to the Director General of the National Sports Commission (Chief Patrick Ekeji) and also as a member of the Presidential Task Force on Nigeria’s qualification for, and participation in, the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa.

He was also at a period the Chairman of Kano Pillars Football Club, one of Nigeria’s leading and most passionately-supported football clubs, and held the traditional title of Ciroman Kano.

President of the NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON) was in sombre mood: “I have known Alhaji Abba Yola for many years now, and I can attest to the fact that he was a kind, humble and knowledgeable man. He showed immense respect to everyone he met, even if those people were younger and less-knowledgeable. His death comes as a shock, but we take solace in the incontrovertible fact that he was a good and great man, and left a worthy legacy of excellent service.

“Our prayer is that the Almighty Allah will welcome him to aljanna, and also grant those he has left behind the fortitude to bear the great loss.”

Alhaji Abba Yola’s demise sent shockwaves through the length and breadth of Nigeria’s sports community on Friday.