Sports: Professional footballers urge Gov Oborevwori to appoint only seasoned technocrat as commissioner

By Francis Sadhere, Warri

The chairman, Board of Trustees of Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, Prince Harrison Jalla, has called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to appoint only seasoned sport technocrats as commissioner for sports in the state.

Jalla, who made this call in a statement made available to journalists in Warri on Monday evening, advised the Delta State governor not to make the mistake of former governors who always appoint non professionals and close relations to pilot the affairs of such a sensitive sector.

He said the practice of appointing non professionals as commissioners of sports in Delta State has made sports in the state to suffer greatly for the past 16 years.

Prince Jalla noted that Delta state has a pool of sportsmen and technocrats who have distinguished themselves with records in the sports industry, wondering why former governors choose to kill the sports sector in the state by appointing non professionals to pilot the affairs of the sports in the state.

Recall that under the hands of non professional Warri Wolves, the state club, is now fighting for relegation in the Nigeria National League (NNL) because players salaries are not paid as at when due and welfare of the entire team is not encouraging.

According to Jalla: “The Governor must Jettison the norm of appointing Brothers and In-laws as Chairmen of the Delta State Sports Commission If his Excellency wants to relaunch Delta State as the Cradle of Sports in Nigeria.

“Delta State Sports has suffered in the last 16 years Because the former Governors were playing Politics with the lives of the youth, Sportsmen and Women by appointing Charlatans as Chairmen of the Delta State Sports Commission the results of these disastrous appointments are there for all to see.

“The Sports Commission is the most Sensitive sector in any State because it deals directly with the youths.

“The State is blessed and littered with Technocrats that would match His Excellency’s Vision of a new Delta State where Sports would take its pride of place.

“The likes of Ex-Internationals Edema Fuludu, Sunday Oliseh, Austin Jay jay Okocha, Davidson Owumi, Ken Nwaomucha, Seigha Porbeni, Andrew Uwe and many more are all Technocrats of Delta State Extraction, willing, ready and able to turn the fortunes of Delta State Sports around.”