Ayoola Adeleke
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu on Tuesday received the member’s Board of Trustees, Stephen Keshi Football and Vocational Training Center as led by its secretary, Comrade Austin Popo, at the Edo State government house.
The meeting, a courtesy visit by the SKFVTC BOT which took place at the conference room, office of the Deputy Governor, saw the BOT discuss the vision and mission statement of the Center with the Deputy Governor as well as tabled documents detailing the deeds of the Obazuwa permanent site, its survey papers, the architectural plans and other relevant plans before His Excellency.
The Deputy Governor in his welcome words to the BOT heaped praises on them for standing still for a friend and keeping his legacies.
He however promised to go through the plans and table them before the sports desk to know how well they can come in to support the project.
Comrade Shaibu further advised the visiting BOT, who also are aligned with the Players Union members not to limit their searchlights to the administrators, but also on some players and half-baked players managers; something has to be done about that.
The sports-loving comrade also took out time to speak on the state of our football in the country.
“We have decided to return to the era of recolonization in sports where it’s only a White man that can coach our national team to success.”
“All these are because we have failed to look inward and be patient with our coaches. Our couches have done well outside the shores of the country and if other countries are training their ex-internationals to become coaches, how come we can’t do the same? How come that our coaches are succeeding in another land, but not at home?!”
“Why can’t we invest in our ex-internationals, send them for one or two years training and have them attached to clubs until they mature.”
“I can tell you that in Edo state, our drive as charged by the Governor is to revive sports in the state and return sports in the country to its base, which is Edo. For that, we are setting up programs that will sustain footballers and other athletes after their active years, some of them will be coaches, some of them will go back to their profession.”
His Excellency also registered his intention to support the Players Union Taskforce in their movement.
That task force is very necessary now because some characters want to destroy football for their aggrandizement and we must not allow it. Many are saying I shouldn’t be talking and allow my people to do the talking; no, I’m not the Deputy Governor that won’t say it the way it is. Nigeria cannot be playing Cape Verde and our hearts will be in our mouth.”
“I’m applying to be a member of the Task Force so that together we can push things and make these people go the way they should.”
“Our league is not in the right direction and our players are becoming mediocre since there are no proper plans on the ground for them. Football is now for the highest bidder and that’s why we are not doing well in the continent, our clubs are not winning matches because our league is not right and things are getting worse now.”
“These bet people want to destroy the remaining part because they have destroyed it before, they are now bringing gamblers in now to bury things.”
“If they destroy football and sports, I am telling you, that’s the end of this country because the one thing that has been keeping us is the game of sports and we must not allow it to be destroyed.”
“I’m happy to see the proper organization in the women’s league, the women knowing fully well that if they go through the circle of the league, even the 8th is already late, because of that, they did an abridged league.”
“Now, NPFL has released it’s a calendar, I can bet that that league will not finish if you have to follow the circle, it will not finish and we might return to where they will say the first three, go, that kind of arrangement will not qualify us to win the CAF leagues because you will be having a team that’s not ready.”
“I must also tell you that beyond putting your searchlights on the administrators, please put your searchlights on these players and half baked managers; these managers are destroying these players, something has to be done about them because they are destroying these young lads.”
Present at the meeting was From the Edo State sports desk; Mrs Sabina Amiemenoghena Chikere, Jimoh Ijegbai, Emma Akaba. From SKFVTC, Comrade Austin Popo, David Aigbovo and Ifeanyi Nwenke-Stephen Keshi Cousin-who is also a BOT member of the SKFVTC.
Photos: Ayoola Adeleke
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