“Edo State Sports Commission is interested in sports development in the state. That’s why it was established. And anything that has to do with grassroots sports development and mobilisation is part of what we’re here to do.
“Now, as for Austin Popo, and his crew managing Stephen Keshi Football Academy, they approached the Commission with a letter requesting for usage of the pitch of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Mainbowl. The Sports Commission Chairman duly directed them to take the matter to Government House because that’s the new practice.
“We don’t just approve anything, especially the use of that pitch. So approval comes from Government House. And he was directed to go there. Maybe he didn’t go. Nobody knows what happened next. Only for us to see a report online accusing us of turning them down, sort of discouraging them. Also referring to what happened in the past how the former Chairman granted them permission to use the pitch.
“Yes, the Commission had the right then to grant such use of the facility. This time things have changed. We don’t have such power to do that solely. If anything like that comes up we direct them to the Government House. And when the approval is coming it’s coming from there.
“We can’t really tell if they sent their request to the Government House. It’s unfortunate that instead of allowing it to lie low or come back to us they now took it to the media may be to discredit or rubbish the Sports Commission Chairman.
“The fact of the matter is that such a blackmail is not enough to bring the Chairman down because everybody knows that he’s sports loving that’s why he’s there. And he’s always there to support everyone even academies that are not known.
“But the use of the mainbowl is strictly from Government House. That’s the reason the Chairman cannot grant them the use. That’s our position in the Commission. We have nothing against Stephen Keshi.
“Again, as for the organisers of the Stephen Keshi Memorial Tournament, we are surprised that they’re going about complaining about how people are not supporting them. They have their own facility. They have a place donated to them by Prince Akenzua to develop and we expect that they have their own pitch there which they could use for their tournament.
“We don’t know why they are insisting on using the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium which was also not a bad idea. Anybody can use the Stadium. The request was not granted by us because we don’t have the power to do so. As far as the Commission is concerned this was exactly what happened. We don’t have anything against them.”
Comrade Kehinde Osagiede, Head of the Media Department of the Edo State Sports Commission.
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