Ondo Sports Council Vows to Restructure Council, Revive Sports Fortunes

The newly-appointed Chairman of the Ondo Sports Council (OSSC), Mr Abimbola Oladimeji, has pledged to urgently restructure the organisation and revive the state’s dwindling sporting fortunes.
Oladimeji made the pledge on Tuesday in Akure while formally assuming office.
The new chairman was accompanied by members of the new board, Babatunde Martins, as well as Abiodun Ibitoye.
According to him, restructuring the council will provide a clear direction for its operations and enable the board to identify and address factors responsible for the decline in sports development in the state.
“We have to roll up our sleeves and swing into action immediately because the council needs our quick response. Our days have started counting,” he said.
Oladimeji commended Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa for appointing him to lead the council after a decade and pledged to align his administration with the state government’s agenda.
He said the welfare of athletes, coaches and other sports officials, as well as the rehabilitation of sports facilities, would be among the administration’s top priorities.
According to him, the council’s area offices, which serve as the closest link to grassroots sports development, will be fully activated through the deployment of competent coaches and other personnel.
“Our area offices, which are closest to the grassroots, will be fully functional, with the deployment of competent coaches and other staff.
“But for us to make this work as envisaged, I am soliciting the cooperation of all staff, from management to the lowest cadre.
“We are going to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to achieve the set goal. The task ahead is not about me and other board members, but about all the sports-loving people of the state,” he said.
Oladimeji stressed that achieving the administration’s objectives would require the collective commitment of the council’s workforce and other stakeholders.
Earlier, the General Manager of the council, Evelyn Lebi, described Oladimeji’s appointment as “a round peg in a round hole.”
Lebi assured the new chairman of the full cooperation and support of the council’s staff.
She expressed confidence that his experience and commitment would help reposition the organisation and restore the state’s status as a leading force in sports development.
Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Ondo State Radio Vision Corporation (OSRC) Media Group, Kenneth Stevenson-Odusola, said the governor had adequately prepared Oladimeji for the assignment.
Stevenson-Odusola disclosed that the new chairman had recently undergone sports management training in Germany.
He acknowledged the challenges that had affected sports development in the state over the years, but expressed optimism that the new chairman and his team would deploy their experience to reposition the sector.
The Chairman, Odigbo Local Government Area (LGA) Taiwo Adegoroye, also expressed confidence in Oladimeji’s experience, describing his appointment as a potential new dawn for sports development in the state.
Similarly, Chairman of the state football association, Sunday Dele-Ajayi, advised Oladimeji to avoid taking decisions on impulse.
Dele-Ajayi urged him to gather and thoroughly assess relevant information before taking decisions.