The Ondo state government has said that the state-owned Sunshine Stars Football Club is open for sale/privatization to the right investors by the end of the season.
It would be recalled that Sunshine Stars was rumored to be up for sale last year, which generated a lot of controversy and grumbling among the football stakeholders.
According to The PUNCH, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Bamidele Ologunloluwa who revealed this while speaking on a radio programme in Akure said the club needed to be privatized to be able able to run well, a situation which could lead to the government handing off the club completely.
He stated that if a bigger organization or brand came calling in for the club it would be sold immediately.
“The government is saying we need the club privatized, in that way the government may be funding the club, but it’s not going to be like this it’s not going to be one hundred percent, then the private organizations can come in and partner with the club.
“If a club like Manchester United for example says there is a club in Ondo State called Sunshine Stars’ and we want to have them as our feeder’s team, are you saying we are not going to sell? We will sell immediately.
“Not because we didn’t like Sunshine Stars, because it is even good for us as a state, it is good for the boys, for sports development, because the government has no business in business,” he said.
Ologun, who justified the reasons to sell the club, said the selling of the club was still open and to a company or individual with a good track record.
The commissioner confirmed that though! no one had shown interest, he however, reiterated that the club was not only in the market for now in other not to distract the club’s season in the Premier League.
Ologun revealed that the sale of the club was not limited to Sunshine Stars, but to all the clubs under the state government which included Sunshine Queens, which he called a full package.
He also made it known that the lack of funding for proper sports infrastructure has affected the state athlete and other sport development.
“We just registered a company now; Ondo Sports Limited, Sunshine Star FC, Sunshine Queens, Risings Stars put together, at the end of the season, we are going into full-fledged privatization.
“It is better for us as a state, but some people don’t understand this, once it happened, they will thank Mr Governor. People need to understand that if the right company takes over Sunshine Stars, there will be more jobs, nothing like losing a job, it has to be in the MoU, they must have their offices in the three Senatorial Districts, they must have their ministry in the districts to harvest legs,” he concluded.
