War Looms In Oyo State Football As FA Sacks IFA

Oyo State Football Association has fired the board of Ibadan Football Association (IFA) on allegation bothered on corruption and non-football related matters and has subsequently appointed caretaker committee to runs the affairs of the body pending the outcome of their investigation.

A statement issued by the Oyo FA which was signed by its Chairman Chief James Odeniran and made available to newsmen over the weekend in Ibadan states as follows: “Over a period of time, we have been inundated with petitions and oral complaints by various stakeholders in Ibadanland and Oyo State over the activities of the board of Ibadan Football Association (IFA).

“Some of these allegations are related to lack of transparency in running of the affairs of IFA while some are bothered on involvement of IFA in non-football related matters which are contrary to their mandate as an affiliate of Oyo FA.

“We met with the board of IFA on 3rd of July 2015 in their office at Olubadan Stadium and raised these allegations before them, but the IFA board failed to come up with a satisfactory explanations or defense of these allegations.

“Thereafter, more complaints had reached us especially a written one we got on 4th August 2015 which contained more grievous allegations which bothered on the integrity of the Chairman and members of IFA.

“As the only body with supervisory authority over Ibadan Football Association, we have no choice but act before the matter degenerated beyond remedy.

“The Chairman and members of IFA are hereby suspended pending the conclusion of the sitting of the panel of investigation and the submission of their report to the FA.

The Oyo FA in presence of newsmen has however, inaugurated two committees with mandates to investigate all the allegations leveled against the board of IFA and the other to serve as caretaker in running the affairs of Ibadan Football Association pending the outcome of the corruption charge.

The investigation panel is headed by a member of FA Barr. Tajudeen Alli with other members comprises of a representative from Ministry of Youths and Sports, a representative from Oyo State Sports Council, Security agency, Oyo FA PRO, Tunde Olawuwo while the Oyo FA’ scribe Kehinde Ojelowo would serve as secretary.

The caretaker committee member has Dr. Abiodun Salami as its chairman and Kolawole Sangowumi, Ibiwumi Ishola, Abiodun Lawal, Romoke Badmus and Dauda Ladipo as members while Olaleye Akintunde would serves as secretary.

The Chairman of IFA Alhaji Banji Akintayo when he was contacted expressed his disappointment on the action of the Oyo FA saying the board of IFA under his leadership has always been running their affairs with utmost transparency.

He however pledged to make appear before any panel of investigation constituted by the FA and make his defense because every of their dealings were well documented with proper accountable records.

“We don’t have any skeleton in our cupboard, we have been running here without blemish since 1997 after we go on break and back in 2003 till date.

“IFA is a father to any football body in Nigeria because it was registered under the government since 1937, then with the name: Ibadan District Amateur Football Association (IDAFA)”, the IFA boss noted.