NICHOLAS UWERUNONYE
Hon Idris Musa Abdullahi, aka Thuraya, chairman, Kwara State Football Association, KWSFA, has described Olayinka Fafoluyi, senior special assistant, SSA, to Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq on New Media, as a complete ignoramus as far as governance, politics and football administration in Kwara is concerned.
Chiding Fafoluyi, known more in social media circle as ‘Solace, Thuraya said that the Governor’s media aide put his ignorance on display when he called him an opposition leader in the state after he aired his displeasure over the exclusion of soccer as part of events registered for the 2024 National Youth Game, NYG, for the third time running despite the state enjoying social and economic milage from football.
Solace, principally on a sports gossip WhatsApp group, had called out Thuraya, over the brickbats between the FA chairman and Bola Mogaji, executive chairman, Kwara Sports Commission after football’s exclusion from NYG despite the state being the defending champion the last time it attended the event.
When asked why football was not part of the 20 events registered for participation by Kwara, Coach Mogaji had argued that FIFA and NFF money paid to state FA’s should have been channeled to sponsoring Kwara to NYG by Thuraya.
The comment had sparked an lingering power tussle feud between the FA and KSC.
But Solace, pitching tent with Mogaji, had queried Thuraya’s anticidents in politics and football administration in Kwara.
He accused Thuraya of being an opposition element, insisting that the state government won’t associate with football on account of that.
But reacting, the state FA chairman said that Solace ‘s claim showed his ignorance.
“He should learn from Rafiu Ajakaiye, the chief press secretary to the governor,” Thuraya said.
“I won’t blame Fafoluyi.
” I don’t even know him; I have never heard of him. He is only Popular because he works with Mallam Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq, the governor.
“He knows nothing about government and he knows nothing about football. His position is nothing to the government. He was just appointed to fill in the gap.
” Rafiu Ajakaiye, as far as we know is the authentic spokesman for the Governor.
“That is the only person Governor Abdulrazaq trusts as his media officer and image maker.
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” Do you see him engage in this useless talks on social media,” queried the FA chairman while talking to select media reporters in his office on Monday.
Thuraya wondered why the aide of the governor who must tell his principal the honest truth chose to tell lies on what is happening in the sports sector.
“Fafoluyi or Solace, what ever he calls himself is so ignorant.
” I told you that somebody is stealing money from the stadium, I have proof; I told you that someone removed football from going to Youth Games and he is lying against the Governor that His Excellency is the one that removed football from the list,” Thuraya said, referring to Coach Mogaji with whom he has been having a long standing battle over the administration of football in the state.
The FA chairman stated that the aide to the governor probably isn’t equipped to understand politics, governance and sports administration in the state.
“His brain is so low and probably that is why they gave him social media because that is where anybody can talk.
” The moment you have an android phone and data, you can say whatever you like. It’s an uncultured platform,” the FA chairman said.
According to Thuraya, FA chairmen are not allowed to be partisan.
Let me tell you categorically that the FA is FIFA’s representative. We can’t be partisan.
We work with government, yes. But we don’t take sides.
“On my achievement, he has no idea of what government means. I have a little book that tells of my achievement in my first tenure.
“These achievements gave me my second term.
He calls me opposition element in Kwara does he really know my anticidents in Kwara politics before I became FA chairman? What does he know about government. I am Hon Idris Musa Abdullahi. I am a part of this government,” he said.
Thuraya recounted his anticidents in party politics from ANPP, CPC and APC.
“But we have had to drop all that to be FA chairman,” he said.
