Ekiti State governor, Engr. Segun Oni, has been commended by the President General of Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Dr Rafiu Ladipo over his donation of N1million to the club.
Governor Oni also gave a bus and another donation of N500,000 to the Ekiti State chapter of the supporters club. The Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Toyin Ayoola, said in a press statement that the governor made the donation while receiving Dr. Ladipo in his office in Ado Ekiti.
Responding to the gesture, Ladipo described Oni as a visionary leader whose love for sports cannot be over-emphasised.
He said he was particularly impressed because the governor had always lived up to expectations. He commended Oni for the various developmental programmes in the state and urged the governor not to relent in his efforts to make Ekiti the toast of other states, especially in the area of sports.
The President General promised to ensure that considerable slots are always given to Ekiti State whenever there are international matches.
Oni said he had always been impressed by the performance and the conduct of the Supporters Club during matches involving Nigerian teams, noting that this must have enhanced the club being adjudged the best Supporters Club all over the world by the world football governing body, FIFA. He promised continued support to the Supporters’ Club.
The governor said his love and passion for sports development in Ekiti State made him recruit the best hands in the country in various sports to lay a solid foundation for sustainable sports development in the state.
According to the Oni, the state government embarked on grassroots sports development programmes to discover the hidden talents in the nooks and crannies of the state.
“Apart from discovering these talents, it is also the determination of this government to nurture to stardom every athlete discovered,” Oni said.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr. Rufus Ajayi, described the Supporters’ Club as an organ that has contributed immensely to the growth of football in the country. Ajayi described sports and football in particular as a unifying factor, which is one of the strong pillars that is holding Nigeria together today.
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