The Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu has declared that if not for the call by the people of Bauchi Emirate for him to succeed his late father as Emir, he would have been a professional footballer.
The Emir was speaking on Sunday in his Palace when he received former Nigerian footballer stars, Kanu Nwakwo, Daniel Amokachi, Garba Lawal, JJ Okocha, Taribo West, Hashimu Garba, Kalilou Fadigha and a host of other top African football stars led by the President of African Children Talent Discovery Foundation, Engr. Noah Dallaji.
The Emir jokingly said that, “in my hey days while in school, I was a football player, I played very well that I was nicked named ‘Amo the Bull’ because I was playing just like Daniel Amokachi, I could score goals from any angle”.
Adamu further said that, ‘I am an ardent Arsenal FC fan for life. I love Arsenal and I was made to love the club because of ‘Papilo’, Nwakwo Kanu, he was playing fantastically for the club that time and I loved his achievements with the Club”.
The Emir then commended the former football stars for doing the country proud while playing actively assuring them that their labour for the country was not in vain calling on younger ones to emulate the great stars in order to have their names written in gold too.
Earlier, President of African Children Talent Discovery Foundation, Engr. Noah Dallaji told the Emir that his foundation was in Bauchi state to discover, harness and mentor the football talents discovered in the state during a talent hunt held recently.
He explained that the aim was to give the youths a future, to make them become professional footballers anywhere in the world stressing that it is a means of reducing the rate of unemployment among the youths in the country.
Dallaji added that his foundation is collaborating with the former stars in order to mentor the discovered raw talents in the art of football as well as to serve as motivation to them as they go on the journey of a lifetime.