INTERVIEW: Akwa United still negotiating with new players – Media Officer, Mfon Patrick
Mfon Patrick has carved a niche for himself as far as Sports Reporting in Akwa Ibom State is concerned. Over the years, he has anchored attention-grabbing sports programmes on radio stations like UniUyo FM and Radio Nigeria Atlantic FM. He is also the brain-behind the Akwa Ibom Sports Arena, an online sports interactive group that has the crème de la crème of sports reporters and enthusiasts in Akwa Ibom State as members.
Last year, Mfon was appointed Media Officer of a seemingly revamped Akwa United who abandoned their perennial relegation struggles to mount a solid chase for the League diadem, placing fourth after a dramatic season that saw National Team selectors inviting a record-making five players from Akwa United to the home based Super Eagles squad. A deserved Aiteo\FA Cup win thereafter cemented Akwa United’s place as one of the best and dominant teams in the npfl.
In this interview conducted by members of the Akwa Ibom Sports Arena, Mfon who was on the Hot Seat talked about his early days as a sports reporter, his motivation behind setting up the online Sports Platform, why there was no victory parade for victorious Akwa United after their Aiteo Cup win, how Akwa United will cope with the appointment of their coach, Abdul Maikaba as national under u-17 coach and gave an insight into the team’s recruitment drive for the incoming season.
It was the debut edition of the One-on-One- Friday -Night – Parley, a new segment in the Akwa Ibom Sports Arena.
NEWS LINK Editor Udeme Inyang, a member of the Sports Arena was a participant in the parley and brings excerpts of the interaction to you. Read on…
Question: Tell us about your journey into Sports journalism?
Answer: It has to take us back to 2002 when I was schooling at the The College of Education,Afaha Nsit. That was when I started reporting sports on the school bulletin board from 2002 to 2005. When I got admission to study Communication Arts in the University of Uyo, I had the opportunity of presenting sports on Radio for the first time.
That opportunity was given to me by two lecturers, Dr. Uwem Akpan and Dr. Nsikan Senam. I presented Sports programme (Sports Update 11:30am-12:00noon) on Uniuyo FM 100.7 from 2008-2011.
When Radio Nigeria Atlantic FM commenced broadcast in Akwa Ibom State, I was invited by my friend Ekemini Ubong to anchor Atlantic Sports and since then I have been presenting sport on Atlantic FM.
What motivated you to create the Akwa Ibom Sports Arena?
The idea to create Akwa Ibom Sport Arena came after I engaged in an argument with some friends after a football match. The discussion lasted almost six hours and at the end we were divided in our views. So, the next day my friends all came to me and said that we were all correct in our submissions. I told them that if all that was discussed was to be published for people to read that I would have been a big lesson for footballers, coaches and fans to learn about the laws of the game and how well to tap from other people’s ideas.
On a scale of 1-10 how can you rate the level of sports reporting in Akwa Ibom?
Sports reporting in the state is improving by the day. But I have observed that we sport journalists have pay too much attention to football to the detriment of other sports. So I think sport reporting is 5/10
What can be done to develop other sports in the state to enjoy the support football currently has?
Adequate attention must be given to other sports like Table Tennis, Basketball, Athletes, weightlifting, boxing, even cycling. The different sports Associations should organise competitions at the state level to get the athletes more engaged
What are the challenges of being a Media Officer of an NPFL team?
My job as a Media Officer of Akwa United came to me as a surprise.
I got my letter of appointment on Dec 20, 2016 and 24 hours later I created a Facebook page for the Club and Twitter handle for the club. Just maybe if I didn’t do those things on time, it would have been very difficult for me to perform my duty. But so far, I don’t think I have encountered any difficulty in doing my job. The passion I have for sports has really helped me in doing my job.
During the Aiteo Cup Final match, when the penalty shoot out reached the crescendo, what were your fears?
After the regulation time of the Aiteo Cup final match in Lagos, I was tensed up because the penalty shootouts is a 50-50 game. But when we won there was a big relief.
Why didn’t the club organize an open-bus victory parade for the team? Such a feat should have been celebrated in style…
Akwa United is a state team and when we returned to the state two days after the match, the Governor was not in the state and the Commissioner for Sport was in Jos for the female final. So we were received by the Commissioner for Information. So that is why we didn’t do a victory parade. But the club may still do it before official reception by the Governor.
Akwa United supporters club are more visible when they play home matches, what efforts are you putting in place to improve this trend in the upcoming season?
We have Akwa United Supporters Club and they have been very supporting especially in home matches. The membership is increasing daily. They have been attending some away matches especially within the south south geo political zone. If anyone wants to join, he/she please contact the Chairman of the Supporters club for more in.
Intimate us of the recruitment drive of Akwa United this season…
Akwa United ended the just concluded season with 27 players and there is need to strengthen the team for the new season. Many players from the NPFL and some from the NNL have been invited by the club. They have been training with the club since we resumed preseason. But as we speak, the club is still negotiating with some players and in due time they will be unveiled.
Coach Abdul Maikaba is now heading two teams (Akwa United & Golden Eaglets). When camping resumes for Eaglets, how do you think he can manage both teams successfully?
Coach Maikaba has just been appointed the as the Coach of the U17 national team. His appointment is part-time and may not take much of his time. He is the coach, so he can decide to camp the U17 team in Uyo where he can handle the two jobs well.
Akwa United is rumored to be the team with the best wage structure in the npfl…How true is this? And how much does the highest paid player in Akwa United earn?
This is interesting…I think the highest paying Football Club in Nigeria is FC Ifeanyi Ubah because Godwin Obaje is earning N500k a week and N2million a month so to the best of my knowledge Akwa United is not the highest paying club.The highest paid player in our club earns a little over N500k a month.
Mfon Patrick, I want to congratulate you for creating this platform for sports men & woman in the state to share views on how to develop sports in Akwa Ibom State. I also thank God & your noble colleagues in various media houses for this great innovation in sports reporting in Akwa Ibom State & thanks for bringing me on this forum. God bless you all.
My question is how will you sustain this platform & how will it benefit most especially our darling team Akwa United & other teams?
Thank you so much for this question. Akwa Ibom Sport Arena is not a profit making platform, it is about sharing ideas that will help us build a vibrant sports sector in the state. The College of Administrators will continue to bring great minds in the sport sector together for meaningful debates. We hope to sustain it by always engaging ourselves through interviews. Akwa United have been enjoying live reportage of all their matches through this Forum.
Are you aspiring to go national as a media officer or a radio sports presenter? Which of the two have you given possible thoughts about?
I didn’t campaign for the job am doing now, so I am thinking of having a little money to further my studies. But journalism is still at the centre.
Akwa United finished 4th at the end of last season, what indices gave the team such pedigree?
The team’s success last season could only be attributed to God. It was God all the way. Chairman Paul Bassey and Coach Maikaba did a great job and their contributions helped the team to succeed
As the Media Officer of Akwa United, how would you rate the following :-
Fan base on social media? & The Nigerian league especially the facilities in other stadia during away league fixtures?
Akwa United fans increased on social media through the official Facebook and Twitter Handle because many fans are young active social media users. As we speak, I have more that 4,500 followers and more than 5,000 followers on Twitter
On facilities, many venues in the NPFL needs urgent attention. Places like Umuahia, Jos, Maiduguri and Shagamu are not suitable to host NPFL matches.
About journalists attending away games next season, are you going to refresh or continue from where you stopped considering not every media person were opportune to travel with the team?
The privilege is for active sports journalists who write and report sports and publish stories about the club. It is not for people who don’t have a platform to report the stories. Those that are doing the job will continue to enjoy the privilege.
On a lighter mood, Is Mr Mfon Patrick married or engaged? If No, when will members of the sports fraternity in the state and country at large witness your marital union?
( Laughs) Mfon Patrick is not yet married and I am not engaged. But I have been seriously thinking of having my own family soon.
As we wrap up, media-wise, What do you hope/aim as target to achieve with/for your team in the new season? Asides sports, what are your hobbies, social places of interest as well as profession? & What is your final message to your colleagues here?
I pray for the success of the team in all competitions next season. I like journalism profession and I love music. Social places I like most is going to cinemas
For my colleagues on the platform and all other members of this platform, I say thank you for accepting our invitation to be part of AKWA IBOM SPORTS ARENA. And I hope to see us doing our best to promote the growth of Sports in our dear state.
Thanks for a wonderful time on the first edition of our ONE ON ONE FRIDAY NIGHT PARLEY (Akwaibom Sports Arena Platform). Thank you Mr Mfon Patrick!!!
Thank you Colleagues/Members of this platform.
