A group called the Ondo State Football Stakeholders Forum has condemned the Ondo State Government’s plan to sell the state‑sponsored football clubs Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens, both based in Akure. The controversy arose after the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Bamidele Ologunloluwa, announced that the two clubs would be opened for sale or privatization to suitable investors by the end of the 2022/2023 football league season.
The forum’s convener, Otunba Dele Ologbese, issued a statement on Friday criticizing the government for making such a decision without consulting stakeholders. He called on Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to explain why he took this sensitive step unilaterally and to highlight any notable achievements in the sports sector since assuming office six years ago. Ologbese argued that an objective assessment shows the governor has done little to develop sports infrastructure, notably failing to build an Olympic‑size stadium in Ondo State—a contrast to the former Akwa Ibom governor, Goodwill Akpabio, who constructed an international stadium in Uyo.
The forum described the proposed sale as a gross insensitivity and a breach of the social contract. It noted that stakeholders have repeatedly engaged the state government on ways to reposition Sunshine Stars as a self‑financing entity, reducing reliance on government funding.
Comments are closed for this story.