Sports unions and athletes on Tuesday at the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure, staged a peaceful protest over the appointment of Mrs Evelyn Lebi as Acting General Manager of the Ondo State Sports Council.
The protesters, drawn from sports unions, coaches and athletes, said the development raised concerns about the future of sports administration in the state, urging government to reconsider the choice.
Addressing journalists at the venue, Coach Fisayo Bello, Coordinating Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), said the sector needs strong leadership to overcome its present challenges.
According to him, sports in Ondo State require “a competent technocrat with passion and vision” to restore its past glory.
“We need someone with passion for sports who can take us back to our glorious days, not backwards. She contested four years ago; we said no then and we are saying no now.
“she 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 day, not backwards,” Bello said
Also speaking, Osifo Moses, Vice Chairman of AUPCTRE in the state and a boxing coach, said the council deserved a reputable and committed administrator who would prioritise athletes’ welfare and development.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Ondo State Professional Coaches Association, Comrade Joshua Ogunbiyi, said the protest was not directed at Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, whom he described as supportive of sports, but at the appointment itself.
Ogunbiyi noted that stakeholders had previously expressed reservations about Lebi’s suitability, adding that the sector needed fresh energy and effective leadership to move forward.
“The stage at which we are now, sport is not moving forward. We want somebody, a vibrant and competent general manager, this time around. Somebody that will come and revive sport development.
“Lebi had contested for this position for over three times, and we have made government to realise that this woman is not competent. This woman is not a good woman.
“She served here about 12, 13 years ago before she left and if we continue to say to the world all the atrocities this woman has committed, where she previously served, in fact, will not leave this place.
“And that is why we believe that if government want to bring anybody, we are not against the governor to bring whoever he feels can come here and revive sport. But as far as we are concerned, Lebi is not one of them.
“We want someone vibrant and competent who can revive sports development in the state,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Idowu Afun, General Captain of Ondo State Athletes, appealed to the state government to appoint a leader who would inspire confidence among athletes and stakeholders.
In his reaction, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Henry Omoyofunmi, dismissed the protest, describing it as unnecessary.
Omoyofunmi said Lebi was a qualified professional with over 15 years’ experience at the Sports Council and was currently serving as Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
He explained that her appointment followed due process after the expiration of the tenure of the former general manager, adding that the Head of Service had posted her to the council in line with civil service procedures.
The commissioner expressed confidence that the appointment would strengthen, rather than hinder, sports development in the state.
