The Ondo State Football Association, under the leadership of Sunday Ajayi, has suspended all the football clubs in the state from engaging in any form of football activities untill further notice.
The clubs in Ondo State include, amongst others, Rising Stars, Sunshine Angels and Sunshine Stars who are at the centre of fraud allegations.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja Monday, Mr. Ajayi , who is also an NFF Executive board member, frowned at the alleged massive fraud that characterized the recent foreign trip embarked upon by one of the suspended clubs, Sunshine Stars, to Hungary and also stated that the other clubs in the state failed to regularize their registration with the Ondo State FA in recent times.
“For the past four years, they (Sunshine Stars) have not accredited with the FA and they have put the name of the state in disrepute by going outside the shores of the country without the knowledge of the FA or the NFF whereby two of their players defected.
“I don’t know the name of the players who defected. It means they are not participating in any football activities in this country,” Mr Ajayi said as regards the Hungary trip made by Sunshine Stars.
The Ondo FA boss further explained that the Akin Akinbobola-led Ondo State football agency has been suspended too until investigations are concluded on the allegations against them.
“All clubs under the Ondo state football agency will not participate until they register with the Football Association. For four good years they have not registered and we have informed the NFF accordingly,” he explained.
Going forward, Mr. Ajayi insists the Ondo State football agency has to be probed to ascertain if due process was by any means followed in the trip made to Hungary by Sunshine Stars.
“Why will they travel out of Nigeria without the knowledge of the FA. The NFF signed those papers for them. Why should two of their players defect. They went for training tour in Hungary with drivers, internal auditors and those that are not concerned, spending the state money, wasting the resources of the state,” he said.
WATCH: Governor Yahaya Bello's Roadmap to Hope 2023
Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
TEXT AD: Why women cheat: what every Nigerian man should know
