The Ondo State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Bamidele Ologun, says the state government is ready to sell off Sunshine Stars Football Club.
Ologun said this during a press briefing to end a four-day partnership scouting programme between Sunshine Stars and Moyero Football Club.
He explained that with the right investors the government was ready to sell off Sunshine Stars FC, which was set up by a former Military Administrator of the State, retired Col. Ahmed Usman, in 1995.
Ologun said that the state was looking for investors that would come on board and run the club professionally, different from what had been done in the past.
“The state can decide to sell the club, Sunshine Stars FC, if we get the right price and most importantly if the right company that has the right experience comes on board.
“What is important to us is to develop these sports and developing these sports doesn’t have to be done by the state government.
“We are looking at investors who will come on board and run this club professionally and these days you know money is very essential in football, it’s big business and ordinarily, government doesn’t have anything to do with business,” he said.
The commissioner noted that what matters to the government was to ensure that the football club is being run professionally by any investor that showed interest in the club.
He reiterated that the state was ready to sell off the club so that the government would concentrate on the development of sports at the grassroots level.
“The government should just be there to form policies and other things; so why not (sell) the club. For example if my friend, Adriano (foreign scout) gets back to Europe and he is able through our partner, Mr Lanre Moyero, bring a billion dollar for us to get Sunshine Stars FC.
“And for us, once Sunshine Stars FC is sold, for example, we can always have resources to do what we need to do, grassroots football, that is the main deal; that is where there is real development.
“What matters to the government is for Sunshine Stars FC to be run professionally.
“Firstly, is for the right funding to be available, secondly for the real development, grassroots development, these things need funding and the state does not have it.
“If we have the right funding, if the right people come on board, we are good to go and we are ready (to sell),” he said.(NAN)