Adelabu hails Amiesimaka’s ‘bold step’ in rejecting sports committee job

Former Green Eagles winger, Adegoke Adelabu, has described as ‘bold step,’ the decision by Adokiye Amiesimaka to turn down an appointment by the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, as a member of a committee to produce a 10-year football development masterplan for the country.

Amiesimaka, a member of the Green Eagles squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, and former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Rivers State, rejected the minister’s offer a few days ago, describing it as a ‘waste of time and public funds.’

Speaking with The Guardian, yesterday, Adelabu, who played club football with the then IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan said: “I think it is just a way of using those who have served the nation to defraud the government. I presented a paper at the last one and up till now nothing had been done.”

Adelabu, a sports scientist, and former manager of Eko United FC of Lagos said: “The important thing is that, apart from the fact that they don’t know what they want, they are not even aware of what we (ex-players) have, hence there is no organised approach to do anything objectively.

“They should go back to the archives, and check on what had been recommended in the spirit of continuity. We must start from somewhere. We are yet to feel the impact of the problems in our sport because of competitions. But when you look at the degree of vices in the society, you will agree with me that we have a big problem at hand.”

Speaking further, Adelabu said: “I hope the sport minister will take the advise from Amesi…as I used to call him, and find a way out objectively. We have never engaged ourselves in any form of sustainable sport development programmes, therefore it is difficult to know what will work. That is why every government uses trial and error approach.

“The important thing is that the sports ministry should not be used for political compensation. It has its own economic power if well organised,” he stated.

In turning down the appointment, Chief Amiesimaka, a former chairman of Sharks FC, said in a letter titled, ‘RE: Appointment As Member Of The Committee To Produce 10 Year Football Development Master Plan,’ that he had been in similar committees in the past but their recommendations were never implemented.