Let me first of all start by congratulating the Executive Chairman of Kwara State Sports Commission, Coach Bola Mogaji on his two year anniversary in office and Mr. Kumbi Titiloye on his reappointment as the ‘Executive Chairman’ of Kwara United.
By every indication, many will agree with me that the glory of sports in the state rests solely on these two chairmen who have both marshaled their ways into the top echelon of the administration.
For Kwara United, the club remains the biggest focus of Kwarans in the area of sports while the sports commission occasionally comes into the fray of recognition largely from the prism of other sports, with relatively less influence on football.
The two might look independent of each other based on the ‘constitutional set up’ but it will be very difficult to separate them on the basis of intrinsic value.
However, recent events have shown that there seems to be a ‘cracking wall’ between the administrators. From who takes the spotlight to overlapping of duties, gerrymandering and perceived mistrust and distrust, the situation has come only to be translated to one thing; ‘power struggle’.
While it is very important to note that they work for the same master; the Government of the state, both men to some extent rely on the provision in their separate founding documents in carrying out their activities, albeit in an internecine manner.
A broader look at this situation will offer invaluable insights on guiding principles of the two bodies which is majorly hinged on the ‘reduction of bottlenecks’ in sports administration.
Over time, these principles have been defeated by several other factors that are often difficult to conceptualize. It has been proven that as long as they both still get funding from the government, they can never be insulated from the gridlock of bottlenecks.
At the tail end of last football season, Kwara United found itself in a very difficult situation and were staring at relegation. One of the major efforts which eventually salvaged the team was led by the commission Chairman.
The club had played all its home matches away from home due to the regrassing of the football pitch of Kwara stadium complex.
The seeming independence of Kwara United from the Sports commission was relatively not on the cards last season. At least, Kwara United files still get treated by the commission and there are instances where many believed that the team had to tap on the goodwill of the commission to get things done.
We have also seen how the commission asserted itself over the affairs of the team during the interregnum occasioned by the dissolution of the management board of the team.
Now that the ‘autonomy’ of the Kwara United has come into the play by the virtue of the appointment letter given to Mr. Kumbi, such will definitely ask for the redefining of terms and conditions of relationship between the two bodies.
There is a theory that the team should be placed under the supervision of the commission. Such belief has been nullified in the face of the full activation of ‘Kwara United FC bill’ which was passed by the 8th Kwara state house of Assembly.
The officials of the stadium under the direction of the commission Chairman shutdown the stadium gate against the contractors working on the turf.
The renovation work currently ongoing is reportedly being handled by the Kwara United Chairman.
While the issue was later resolved after a meeting between the chairmen, such a scenario had shown glimpses of what may play out in the near future as both continue to work side by side.
The Chairman of the commission was quoted saying after the meeting that : “There was never any issue because Kumbi Titiloye and I have been friends, brothers and also committed fans of Kwara United.
“The stadium facilities are under my purview, I needed to know what was happening at all times. But as you can see, the matter has been resolved and there is no misunderstanding whatsoever,”
While the reference to their constitutional background lasts, the reality on ground is simply that of a car being driven by two drivers, at least, events of the recent days have shown.
One would also think, why the renovation of the stadium is being done by the club and not by commission. What comes to mind is the question of the ‘landlord’ of the facility as the commission is fond of.
It’s also important to note that the regrassing of the main pitch of the stadium, bankrolled by AU Mustapha SAN was done largely under the supervision of the Chairman of the Kwara State Football Association, Mr. Abdullahi Musa Thuraya.
At this juncture, it’s clear that both Kwara United and Kwara Sports commission are intertwined. While they literally exist independently, they seem practically not.
Many might have preached for a common ground and synergy between the bodies, but the nexus between them and the delineations set by their bill of establishment are in parallel position, with the end point being on the table of the Governor.
Here is it, Kwara United can exist without the Kwara Sports commission and vice versa. Now, it has come to a point where they have to cohabit again, at least for the fate of sports development in the state.
For the umpteenth time,the performance of Kwara United will continue to serve as the major index of rating the state in terms of sport development, and should the ‘power struggle’ continue to play out, it may constitute some albatross to the larger picture of what is meant to be for sports in the state.
