Arrangements are in top gear for the commencement of the maiden Western Nigeria Heads of Service Football Festival.
At the inaugural meeting of the main organising committee held in Cocoa House Building office of Dawn Commission,the committee requested that each state in the zone should hold its preliminary matches where winners will emerge for the final stage that will take place in Akure, Ondo State in July/August.
At the meeting Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman, Western Nigeria Football Forum and Co-Chairman, Main Organising Committee (alongside the Ondo State Head of Service) commended the Heads of Service in the zone for their passion to develop the game.
He disclosed that the Festival will not only develop football in the zone but will cement the bonding among the states and help in discovering more talents, foster healthy relationship, build social capital among Ministries, Department and Agencies of State Governments and also become an effective structure for positive youth engagement in the Region for providing and an avenue for the empowerment of young people for positive development of the region.
“Each state in the zone will present two teams, one male and one female team to participate at the final stage to be graciously hosted by Ondo State later in the year and we plan to make this an annual event that will be rotational among the states in the zone in order to use football to engender deeper relationships between the states’.
The Main Organising Committee members according to Akinwunmi are; Mr Toyin Akinkuotu( HOS OndoState)-Co-Chairman, SeyiAkinwunmi; Co-Chairman, Mr Seye Oyeleye ;DG DAWN Commission, Mr Hakeem Muri Okunola (HOS Lagos State),
Eng. Olanrewaju Bisiriyu (HOS Ogun State), Mrs Hannah Ogunesan, (HOS Oyo State), Mr Ayodeji Ajayi, HOS Ekiti State),
Dr Gboyega Oyebade,HOS State of Osun, Otunba Tade Azeez, President,Nigerian Referees Association and Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi, Executive Member, NFF.
In his remarks,the Executive Secretary, WNFF Mr Akin Akinbobola assured that the maiden edition of the Western Nigeria Heads Of Service Football Festival will be hitch free, saying all hands are on deck to make it a successful event that will usher in a new dawn in Nigerian football history.
