‘Ogunjobi has capacity for PPP in sports’

A group, Coalition for Equity and Fairness in Sports in Ibadan, has clamoured for the appointment of a former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, as a sports consultant to the Oyo State government.

Ogunjobi’s task if eventually appointed as contained in a statement made available by the group to Tribunesport on Tuesday, is to source for alternative funds from the private sector to drive sports in the state, using his wide nexus and experience as an administrator.

The group noted that Ogunjobi has the capacity to fashion effective Public, Private Partnership (PPP) for sustainable development of total sport in the state and position it as a business capable of yielding revenue for the state governmnet.

The bane of sports in Nigeria, the group argues, is the failure of stakeholders to tailor sports management along European pattern where sports, particularly football, is a money-spinning venture.

“This is where Ogunjobi factor comes in. He has always posited that government whether federal or state has no business in sport other than to provide a conducive atmosphere for it to thrive,” the statement said.

When Ogunjobi was the NFF scribe, the group recalled that the football body became financially vibrant and independent, depending less on the Federal Government for subvention.

“That time, The NFF did not owe coaches, players or any other officials. It was the golden age of the Nigerian football as our various national teams won continental and global honours serially. Saying Ogunjobi has assured that he would not draw salaries from the state government, The group stressed that he would in fact put machinery in place to garner for the state private sector funding that is comparable to the state’s budgetary allocation to sports.”