Governing Bodies
NIGERIA’S SPORTS MINISTER, SUNDAY DARE PAYS TRIBUTE AS ICONIC AKINYELE GOES HOME
BY JOHN JOSHUA AKANJI
The age long practice of paying glowing tributes to dead heroes without commensurate honour and monuments erected to immortalize them will no longer be the norm.
Youths and Sports Minister, Sunday Dare has remarked that he is committed to changing the narrative by ensuring that recognition and honour is bestowed on athletes, coaches and administrators who have made immense contributions to sports development.
As the body of the late NSC Chairman, Chief Alex Akinyele is interned this Friday, the Nigerian sports minister, who by his position, is one of the successors to the late Ondo high chief, said beyond graveside oration, President Mohammadu Buhari is irrevocable committed to honouring sports men and women, coaches and Administrators that have contributed to sports.
Hence a powerful delegation is not only in Ondo to pay their last respect, the Minister is personally involved with the burial arrangements. The Minister mobilized men and resources to ensure a befitting final rites of passage for the Ondo High Chief.
While paying glowing tribute to heroes and heroines that had won laurels, brought glory and honour to our fatherland, Dare said it must go beyond mere rhetorical statements and empty promises.
“We must learn to honour athletes, coaches and administrators that committed their lives to the service of the nation. Chief Akinyele was an epitome of service and patriotism. He exemplified what genuine service to the country meant.
“His personal charm was infectious and hard work quite motivational. He tried to use his position to impact on the society. He was simply a true Nigerian hero.
“Sports remains our greatest unifying instrument, public relations tool and could be the biggest source of revenue if properly harnessed.
“So many heroes have died unheralded and in penury. We must celebrate our athletes and administrators while they are alive”, remarked, the sports minister.”
According to him, Akinyele was a pace setter, astute administrator, accomplished technocrat , consummate business man who left his mark on the sands of time.
Dare affirmed that Akinyele led an exemplary life worthy of emulation. He was a man who abhorred failure, set his goals and ensured that they were accomplished.
He presided during great epochs in Nigerian Sports like the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations victory and the qualification for the World Cup for the very fist time among others.
He was meticulous and a stickler to details. He never believed in impossibilities. Dare further described him as humane, humorous, urbane and honest in his views. While some viewed him as too cosmopolitan, he was a grasroot man who was at home with his people, no wonder he held the title of Lobosin of Ondo Kingdom.
He made remarkable marks in the development of his community in sports, education and infrastructural development. He united his people and brought them to national prominence. He was dutiful, loyal and patriotic. He was indeed passionate about the unity and progress of Nigeria. No wonder, he midwifed so many reforms in Nigeria’s body polity. He headed the Reconciliation Committee set up by the late Head of State General Sani Abacha.
While he was widely criticized in the South West, he won accolades across the Niger for his courage, zeal and unflinching believe in the sanctity of the union called Nigeria. Before his foray into sports, he brought panache, glamour, professionalism and respect to public relations practice as the pioneer President of the Institute of Public Relations of Nigeria.
His contributions to Public Relations Practice continue to evoke found memories when he worked at the Nigerian Customs Service.
As Minister of Information under General Ibrahim Babangida, he developed the template that led to the of media practice in Nigeria. He was a stylish man, great orator, full of wits and idioms, jovial and quite amiable.
He was married to a South African, Indian and lastly a Nigerian. He can therefore be best described as a man of the universe. Born on April 24th 1938 in Ondo town, Chief Akinyele was educated at the University of Ife. He died on November 15th 2019. He will be buried today, Friday.
*John Joshua Akanji Special Adviser, Media to the Minister of Youth and Sports
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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