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The Chairman of Shooting Stars Football club of Ibadan (3SC), Mr. Gbolagade Busari asked the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde to desist from his projection of doom over the position of the club in the Nigeria National League (NNL).
Mr. Busari, according to a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday, said “Seyi Makinde should rather project doom for his governorship aspiration instead of the 3Sc which is currently chasing promotion to the Nigeria Premier League as the team has already qualified for the Super 8.”
The club boss was reacting to comments credited to Makinde over last weekend’s controversial loss of the team to Insurance Football Club of Edo state.
Makinde, through the spokesman for his campaign organisation, Prince Dotun, had stressed that the present administration in Oyo state ” and not the management of the club should be held responsible if the club fails to come back to the top flight and remains relegated this season again.”
He said he was sad to learn of the 3SC’s “dubious 2-1 defeat to Insurance Football Club of Edo state in a very crucial match that was attended by the Deputy Governor of Edo state whereas no senior government official accompanied our team to a match that could define its future”.
The PDP governorship candidate stressed that “if Oyo state government has not neglected 3SC, starved it of necessary funds and abandoned it to the manipulations of other clubs, the match could not have been allowed to go on for 20 extra minutes after the draw at full time.”.
But Busari stated that it was rather unfortunate for a politician gunning to govern the state to be predicting doom for the darling team of the people of the state and by extension, the South West, saying that Makinde should rather focus on his political pursuit instead of dabbling into a terrain he knows nothing about.
The 3SC boss was quoted as saying that the Oyo State Government will be ready to finance a public governance course for Mr. Makinde to be equipped on governance matters, adding that his outbursts over governmental issues shows a pathetic lack of understanding of public governance. Busari emphasized that he needs to learn more on the day-to –day operation of public institutions in order to understand and appreciate that running a sole proprietorship is not the same as governing a state.
Busari described as “concocted lies”, Makinde’s allegation that Governor Abiola Ajimobi did not support the team, saying “3SC has the backing of the governor financially and the welfare of the players is top priority.”
He added: “Today, 3SC with the least goals conceded in the national league is and the highest number of goals scored is on course for promotion alongside Bendel Insurance FC because we are the two best clubs in our group with 29 and 28 points respectively. It is mischievous for Mr. Makinde to be politicising Shooting Stars’ football club affair and predicting that the team has failed to qualify for promotion to the Premier League, even when the league is not yet concluded”
According to Busari, the last match of the team in Benin was well attended by officials of the State Government led by the Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Mr. Abayomi Oke, the Special Assistant to Governor Ajimobi on Youth, Hon. Bolaji Repete, Chairman of Oyo FA and thousands of supporters who were given free transportations on Ajumose Buses to support the team.
He maintained that Governor Ajimobi has given the club the mandate to get back to the Nigeria Premier League, assuring that the team is confident of promotion this season.
“The welfare of the Shooting Stars is one of the best in the country and this a testimony of the commitment of the Governor to make the dream of promotion a reality. We advise Mr. Seyi Makinde to focus primarily on his ambition and desist from using Shooting Stars as a tool to achieve his ambition,” Busari added.
Makinde, in his statement, had tasked the state government “to do everything possible to make sure that the club is not relegated again”, promising that if he becomes governor of the state next year, Shooting Stars will compete successfully for continental honours by 2020-21