By Akinwale Kasali
There is palpable tension at the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure, Ondo State Capital. Protesters disrupted activities at the Complex following the appointment of Evelyn Lebi as Acting General Manager of the Ondo State Sports Council.
The aggrieved protesters, comprising Sports Union Leaders, Coaches, and Athletes, said the appointment was against the wish of stakeholders, adding that the appointment would not advance Sports development in the State.
Coach Fisayo Bello, Coordinating Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE, said sports in Ondo State was already in a “comatose” state and required a competent technocrat to revive it.
He added that the Acting General Manager does not have the wherewithal to revive Sports in the State, adding that the person needed to paddle the affairs of Sport in the State is a passionate and dedicated individual.
“We need someone with passion for sports who can take us back to our glorious days, not backwards. Lebi contested four years ago, we said no, and we are saying no now.
“We want a better person, we want a technocrat that can take us back to our glorious days, not backwards,” Bello said.
Coach Osifo Moses, Chairman of AUPCTRE in the State and a boxing coach, said sports in the state needed a better candidate than Lebi. He added that the council required a reputable and committed leader for the position.
The Chairman of the Ondo State Professional Coaches Association, Joshua Ogunbiyi, said the protest was not against Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, whom he described as passionate about sports development, but against the choice of Lebi.
Ogunbiyi further alleged that Lebi had previously served at the council and was involved in actions that caused tension among staff, adding that stakeholders had repeatedly expressed reservations about her competence.
“At this stage, sport is not moving forward. We want somebody vibrant and competent, someone who will revive sports development.
“A person like Lebi has contested for this position over three times, and we have made the government realise that she is not competent.
“We are not against the governor bringing whoever he feels can revive sports, but as far as we are concerned, Lebi is not one of them,” he said.
In the same vein, Idowu Afun, General Captain of Ondo State Athletes, called on the state government to appoint a competent and vibrant person to head the council.
Henry Omoyofunmi, Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, described the protest as “strange” and unjustified.
He stated that Lebi was qualified and a professional, noting that she had served at the Sports Council for more than 15 years and was currently a Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“She was redeployed after the tenure expiration of the former general manager. The Head of Service posted an accounting officer to the council, and I don’t see why that should be challenged,” he said.
The commissioner alleged that the protesters were acting under unknown influence, noting that the appointment would not hinder sporting activities but rather help reposition the sector.
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