Osun State Governor Appoints Ex Eagle Star, Felix Owolabi Committee Member to Revive Sports
Wednesday October 11, 2023
The Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has officially inaugurated a 9-member Committee tasked with assisting in the planning and implementation of a sports commission.
The Committee, which has two former players of Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan, Dr Felix Owolabi Akinloye (MON) and Mr Ademola Adesina as members, is assigned to craft a comprehensive sports policy for Osun State to reestablish its position in the national arena.
Other tasks of the Committee are formulating a legal framework for the establishment of a sports commission; setting priorities for the scope and direction of sports in the state; creating a framework to upgrade sporting institutions and facilities to international standards among other things.
During the Committee’s inauguration, the Governor, represented by the Deputy Governor, who also serves as the State Commissioner for Sports, Prince Kola Adewusi said the concept of a sports commission is a brainchild of Senator Ademola Adeleke’s administration, reflecting their commitment to revitalizing sports in the state.
The Deputy Governor lamented the current state of the Osun sports industry, stating that it still operates within outdated practices. He emphasized the pivotal role the sports commission will play in fostering sports development in Osun State.
He said, “Our government’s aspiration is to establish a sports commission capable of fulfilling our ambitions in the sector. We believe that the individuals chosen for this task possess the requisite experience, skills, and sports knowledge to lay the foundation for a premier sports commission in Osun.”
The Committee headed by a seasoned sports administrator who hailed from Oke-Ila in Osun State, Chief Popoola Babatunde Afolayan, also has Mr. Ademola Daini as its Secretary.
Other members of the Committee, aside Dr Owolabi – Akinloye and Mr Adesina, are Otunba Mustapha Razaq, Mr. Tunde Kazeem, Mr. Joseph Atewe, Pastor Michael Adetunji Aderemi and Mrs. Tola Usman.
Chairman of the Committee and the Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Chief Popoola Babatunde Afolayan expressed gratitude to the Governor for entrusting them with this responsibility. He pledged the Committee’s commitment to aiding the state government in achieving its goal of revitalizing sports in Osun.
Speaking at the inauguration, Chief Popoola, popularly known as Popson, emphasized that Osun State, with its talented sports individuals and administrators, should not be lagging behind.
He commended the government for its dedication to sports development and assured that the appointed team would spare no effort in fulfilling their duties. He concluded by stating, “We promise the government that we will make significant sacrifices to accomplish this task.”