- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has warned that the era of slots for the recruitment of players at the state-owned Football Clubs, Ekiti United and Ekiti Queens is gone.
Oyebanji, represented by the Commissioner For Finance, Mr Akin Oyebode stated this on Monday in Ado-Ekiti at the unveiling ceremony of Akin Olowookere and Jacob Vandy as Head Coaches of Ekiti United and Ekiti Queens respectively.
The governor assured that his administration will support the team to ensure that the clubs return to the top echelon of Nigeria football and win trophies.
According to the him: “The era of asking for slots for players is gone. Nobody can come to our coaches and try to terrorize or intimidate them. Nobody has the right to say that I have a player. The selection of our players will be done on merit. What we are looking for is to elevate Ekiti Queens to be champions and ensure that Ekiti United returns to the Nigeria Premier Football League.
“Both of them are very well-experienced professionals and we will ensure that they discharge these tasks with dedication, professionalism, skill and competence that is required.
“We will support them all the way. They have full support of Ekiti people to deliver the right results for Ekiti people. We will support the team to ensure that the era of constantly loaning players is over.
“Our commitment to Sports, not just football will be seen in totality over our term in office. We have identified the site for Indoor Sports Hall and work will commence on that Indoor Sports Complex,” Oyebanji concluded.
On her part, the Technical Advisor on Sports Development, Dr. Olusola Osetoba explained that the recruitment exercise of the coaches was conducted with due diligence.
She implored the new technical crew to “keep their spirits awakened at all times with the vision and determination to fulfill the mandate given to them.
Dr Osetoba described the development as a new dawn to the sports sector in the state, adding that all hands must be on deck to take sports to the next level.
“We aspire to see our two cherished football clubs competing in the CAF Champions League and beyond. This is indeed a new dawn filled with many possibilities,” she explained.
In a separate interviews with TopNews, the two Head Coaches pledged to take the clubs to a greater heights, while soliciting the support of football enthusiasts and other stakeholders in the State to ensure that they achieve their goals and aspirations.
According to Olowookere, “After the interview when I was called upon and selected to lead Ekiti United, I already had it on my mind that the only thing that befits this team is for them to go back to where they belonged which is the premiership and that is exactly what we are going do.
“We are going to do everything possible within our powers to make sure that we take Ekiti United to the next level which is the premiership level.
‘I was not here last season and I wouldn’t know what transpired in Ekiti United but I want to tell you that I’m here now, I never experienced this lower division, I have always worked at the highest level for about two decades of the premiership and I have just come to the lower division to see what I can do to bring them to the top.
“What happened last season is gone and I’m going to open another chapter now, that chapter is to make sure that we win our home matches and make more points away to be able to qualify for the next one and then we know what next to do.”
His counterpart from Ekiti Queens, Coach Jacob Vandy said: “I’m here to restructure everything possible that will make Ekiti Queens get to the Super Six.
“I see how the supporters are willing to support good football and I also see how the entire State and the governor want to see football grow in Ekiti.
“I want Bayelsa Queens, Rivers Angels, and Edo Queens to compete with Ekiti Queens. This is one of my strategies to change Ekiti Queens.
“We need to bring in standard players who can compete with those clubs. We need to build a team with professional players because they are the tools for our results also size matters in women’s football, and maturity matters.”
