Ondo Athletes, Coaches Reject New Sports Council Boss – Arise News

By Reporter Ben On Jan 7, 2026

Athletes, coaches and Sports unions on Tuesday staged a protest at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure against the appointment of Mrs Evelyn Lebi as Acting General Manager of the Ondo State Sports Council.

The protesters, drawn from various Sports unions and associations, said the appointment could worsen the challenges confronting Sports development in the state, and called on the government to urgently reverse the decision.

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Addressing journalists during the protest, Coach Fisayo Bello, Coordinating Chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), said the Sports sector required strong and visionary leadership to regain its lost glory.

According to him, Ondo State Sports needed a competent technocrat with passion and vision to reposition the sector.

“We need someone with passion for Sports who can take us back to our glorious days, not backwards. She contested four years ago; we said no then and we are saying no now. We want a better person — a technocrat who can move Sports forward,” Bello said.

Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of AUPCTRE in the state and boxing coach, Mr Osifo Moses, said the Sports Council deserved a reputable and committed administrator who would prioritise athletes’ welfare, capacity building and sustainable development.

Chairman of the Ondo State Professional Coaches Association, Comrade Joshua Ogunbiyi, said the protest was not directed at Lucky Aiyedatiwa, whom he described as a supporter of sports, but was specifically against the appointment of Lebi.

Ogunbiyi said stakeholders had previously expressed reservations about Lebi’s suitability for the position, insisting that the sector needed fresh energy and effective leadership.

“At the stage we are now, Sports is not moving forward. We want a vibrant and competent general manager who can revive Sports development. Someone like Mrs Lebi has contested for this position over three times, and we have made government realise that she is not competent,” he said.

The General Captain of Ondo State Athletes, Mr Idowu Afun, also appealed to the state government to appoint a leader who would inspire confidence among athletes and stakeholders and reposition Sports in the state.

Reacting to the protest, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Henry Omoyofunmi, dismissed it as unnecessary, saying the appointment followed due process.

Omoyofunmi explained that Lebi was a qualified professional with over 15 years’ experience at the Sports Council and currently served as Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

According to him, her posting to the council was carried out by the Head of Service following the expiration of the tenure of the former General Manager and in line with established civil service procedures.

He expressed confidence that Lebi’s appointment would strengthen Sports administration in the state and contribute positively to Sports development.

Fidelis David, Akure