By Femi Atolagbe
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The Chairman of Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), Otunba Tajudeen Olajide Akinyemi, has denied the allegations against him by one of the board members that he did not carry the members along in the signing of a new coach for the Sunshine Stars FC.
He said there were cordial relationship between him and his board members.
It will be recalled that one of the ODSFA board member and Executive Director of Sunshine Stars FC , Prince Tunde Ogunja had during a programme in one of the radio stations in Akure, the state capital, alleged the chairman of the agency of taking a sole decision in the recruitment of Kabir Dogo as coach of Sunshine Stars FC without consulting with the board.
In his reaction during an interview with Sporting Hope at his Oda Office, the Board Chairman who described the allegation as spurious, bogus, said he consulted every board member including him (Prince Tunde Ogunja).
He added that during the consultation that the Sunshine Stars Director told him he didn’t want Dogo as the team Coach.
According to the Chairman, “I took my time to inform the board members why I prefered Dogo above other shortlisted coaches, other board members supported my choice of Kabir Dogo. When he saw that majority wanted Dogo, he joined us and said he wanted him too, that he could not do otherwise.”
“Ogunja wanted to bring Toyin Ayinla, Toyin is a nice coach, I love him as a person, he has a nice physique, but the fact remained that Toyin has not coached any NPFL team in the last nine years, the last club he coached he was the assistant coach then, I told him the vacuum was so big. Nine years was a big time in Nigeria league especially Nigeria professional Football League (NPFL).”
” I said NPFL improves every day and if you are not there it will be difficult for you to cope, that was the reason we cannot employ Ayinla, nothing is personal.” he said.
Akinyemi said it is normal to argue on issues, disagree and later agree at the end, but I was astonished when I heard Ogunja on air saying things that never happened in the agency.
He described such act as an act of insubordination and gross indiscipline.
“Ogunja brought Henry Abiodun to me when we sacked Duke Udi, that we should make him interim coach, asked him why? He said he is the best, with the approval of the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Mr Saka Yusuf Ogunleye, we made him the coach.”
“Abiodun has not spent up to eight weeks ,the same man said we should sack him, I told him I cannot sack him because you brought him, I told him this man has not done anything wrong, if you insist we should sack him, write to me that I should sack him and I will bring it to the Board meeting .
One of the board members, Mr Aladetoye Aladenika, who spoke to Sporting Hope on telephone, said the allegation was not true, adding that all members were carried along. We took the decision to pick Kabir Dogo together including Prince Tunde Ogunja .
“As a matter of fact, we took the decision to pick him on (Friday 26th October, at 11am). Prince Ogunja asked him many questions and Dogo answered him that very day , so the allegation was not true”.
Aladetoye said the Board decided to pick Dogo because of his consistence in Nigeria premier league for the last ten years, saying Toyin Ayinla on his own has not coached any big team in the last nine years. The last team he coached was Kwara United from National League to premier league and he was immediately disengaged.
“We zero down on Kabir Dogo because he is currently on top of the job he spent five unbroken years with Nassarawa United, he took them to two CAF confederation Cup, they have been maintaining first to fourth position under his tutelage, that is why we believe he is the best for the team.”
Job Well done sir, Otunba Tajudeen Akinyemi God will continue to uphold you as u have a good plan for Sunshine Star FC. Those who want it to destroy will be destroyed.