Elder statesman and retired FIFA instructor, Chief Adegboyega Festus Onigbinde, has warned that there is no future for Nigeria’s sports if incompetent persons continue to occupy leadership positions in the nation’s sports sector.....
He said this would continue to hinder the development of sports in the country if the government did not consider merit and competence in appointing people into leadership positions.
“If things still go the same way as it is now, there is no future. I believe that Nigerian sports have been destroyed. So, it’s like having to start from the scratch again.”
“When last did we have a minister of Sports with sound knowledge about sports in this country? So, how will he know what to do when he gets there. Some will use the opportunity of his ignorance to bamboozle him.”
“Except in the days of people like Ikhazobor. Go to the states, most of them have carpenters as commissioner for sports. These are the areas where we got it wrong”.
“If you want to appoint a minister for Justice, you don’t look for a tailor. But anybody can become a minister of Sports in this country. They can even go to a farm and bring a farmer to come and be a minister of sports. So, where is the future for sports in Nigeria?” he said.
The 82-year-old erstwhile Super Eagles handler said as Nigeria is set to mark 60 years Independence anniversary, it must return to the drawing board and start from the scratch to resuscitate sports.
“If you have a business and you are not developing the business, you have killed the business. That is why I said we have to start from the scratch if we want to start at all.”
He promised to help to resuscitate Nigerian football like he did with Shooting Stars of Ibadan during Lam Adesina’s tenure as governor of Oyo State.
“I am a Nigerian and I am loyal to my country but I just don’t run into invitations anyhow. For instance, there was a time when Shooting Stars was in relegation for about three years. The former Oyo State governor, Lam Adesina, took five months to beg me to come back.
He said the situation was becoming embarrassing to his government. I told him I have been in Shooting Stars for six times and I don’t want to come back for the seventh times. The man came begging me. I eventually accepted but from the day I accepted, I committed him. Will you allow me to do it the way it should be done? He said Chief, don’t report anything to me, go ahead. We went in and within one season, we bounced back to the Premier League”.
“I will want to know what condition you want me to come in. I am not a beggar. I am contended with whatever God has provided for me. So, if there is any opportunity of course, we have to discuss it. You can’t just hijack me and say come. I want to know what you want me to do”.
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