Protest Rocks Akure Sports Complex Over Lebi’s Appointment

Activities were grounded on Tuesday at the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure, as sports stakeholders staged a protest against the appointment of Mrs Evelyn Lebi as the Acting General Manager of the Ondo State Sports Council.

Naija News reports that the protesters, made up of sports union leaders, coaches and athletes, insisted that the appointment would not advance sports development in the state, which they described as already struggling.

Leading the protest, the Coordinating Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Coach Fisayo Bello, said sports in Ondo State were in a comatose condition and required the intervention of a competent technocrat to revive them.

According to him, the state needs a leader with passion, technical know-how and a clear vision for sports development.

“We need someone with passion for sports who can take us back to our glorious days, not backwards. Lebi contested four years ago, we said no, and we are saying no now.

“We want a better person, we want a technocrat that can take us back to our glorious days, not backwards,” Bello said.

The Vice Chairman of AUPCTRE in the state and a boxing coach, Osifo Moses, also faulted the appointment, saying sports in Ondo State deserved a better candidate.

Moses argued that the Sports Council required a reputable and committed leader capable of rebuilding confidence among athletes and officials.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Ondo State Professional Coaches Association, Joshua Ogunbiyi, said the protest was not targeted at Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, whom he described as passionate about sports development, but at the choice of Lebi.

Ogunbiyi alleged that Lebi had previously worked at the Sports Council and was involved in actions that created tension among staff, adding that stakeholders had, over the years, expressed reservations about her competence.

“At this stage, sport is not moving forward. We want somebody vibrant and competent, someone who will revive sports development.

“A person like Lebi has contested for this position over three times, and we have made the government realise that she is not competent.

“We are not against the governor bringing whoever he feels can revive sports, but as far as we are concerned, Lebi is not one of them,” he said.

Also speaking during the protest, the General Captain of Ondo State Athletes, Idowu Afun, appealed to the state government to appoint a competent, energetic and credible person to head the Sports Council.

He said athletes in the state were eager for leadership that would prioritise welfare, development and competitive excellence.

Reacting to the protest, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Henry Omoyofunmi, described the action as strange and unjustified.

Omoyofunmi defended Lebi’s appointment, stating that she was a qualified professional who had spent more than 15 years serving at the Sports Council and was currently a Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

“She was redeployed after the tenure expiration of the former general manager. The Head of Service posted an accounting officer to the council, and I don’t see why that should be challenged,” he said.

The commissioner further alleged that the protesters were acting under unknown influence, insisting that Lebi’s appointment would not disrupt sporting activities but would instead help reposition the sector.

According to him, the government remains committed to strengthening sports development in Ondo State.