Gbajabiamila, Tejuoso, top dignitaries honour Akinwunmi at 60

>• Remo Stars down 3SC 1-0 in charity clash

Speakers of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and Senator Lanre Tejuosho were among top dignitaries that graced the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Foundation festival at the weekend in Lagos.

Also at the event were former House of Representatives member, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, former FIFA Executive Committee member, Dr. Amos Adamu, Former NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, NFF member, Aisha Falode, CEO, Brila FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje, president of Nigeria Referees Association, Otunba Tade Azeez, Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Sola Aiyepeku, former LSSC boss, Kweku Tandor and popular Pastor, Ituah Igholado.

Five chairmen of states’ Football Associations, including Adamawa, Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun and Kwara, were also in attendance.
At the event which featured a thrillimng football match between 3SC of Ibadan abd Remo stars of Ikenne, over 1000 kids took part playing different roles in two quality age grade male and female games.

Senator Tejuosho took the kick-off of the main match of the day between Remo Stars and Shooting Stars, while Gbajabiamila took pictures with the age grade male teams after handshake with the players. Remo defeated 3SC 1-0 in the exhibition match.

The major highlight of the day was the presentation of cash gifts to 60 students as part of the SACF philanthropic gestures and also in celebration of Barrister Akinwunmi, who will be 60 years on Thursday.

Speaking on the event, Omidiran, who was a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, commended Akinwunmi’s love for football and his kind heart of giving hope to the less privileged.

“The Foundation has been wonderful in the past years because we hear testimonies of some of the beneficiaries. They deserve our support,” she said.
Ogun FA Chairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi, also described SACF as a noble idea, saying, “I commend Barrister Akinwunmi for his consistency with the foundation. It is not easy at a time like this to maintain such project in Nigeria.”

Over 40 children, between 12 and 15 years, have in the past eight years remained in school courtesy of the foundation, which has also supported more than 200 indigent students in collaboration with the Courage Education Foundation, which was also conceived and co-founded by Seyi Akinwunmi over 17 years ago.