Football stakeholders in Ekiti State have urged warring parties in the state Football Association to embrace peace for the sake of development of the game in the state.
The group under the auspices of the Ekiti State Football Stakeholders also called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to constitute a caretaker committee to run the affairs of FA in the state.
The group which said development can only be achieved in the atmosphere of peace, equity and justice was reacting to the Thursday’s judgment of an Ado Ekiti magistrate court, which sentenced the state FA chairman, Mr Bayo Lanlege and five others to a 14-day imprisonment for contempt of court.
Speaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti, the chairman of the Prince Gabriel Adetule said efforts made to resolve the issue were rebuffed by the parties involved.
Adetule said, “There is nothing we can do about it but to obey the court order but we still remain resolute that there should be peace in Ekiti state as far as football is concerned.
“We should learn from this, that things must be done rightly. Nigeria Football Federation should assuage to the whims and caprices of the people to do the right thing”.
On whether this will negatively affect football development in the state, the state football referee council member said it will rather stabilize the running and management of football in the state.
According to him, “I am a match commissioner and we want things to stabilize, when Ekiti United FC when they get promoted to NPFL things should be done the way they should.”
Another prominent stakeholder, High Chief Jide Oyedele said the body tried its best possible not to allow things like this to happen by meeting people that matters in the state.
Oyedele, who noted that the development will definitely bring some setbacks expressed the view that it will help in setting a lot of things right in the system.
The retired director in the state sports ministry called on the NNF to constitute a caretaker committee that will be running the affairs of the association.
He said, “There must not be a vacuum, that is why NFF must constitute a caretaker committee within the next 90 days to oversee the association till an election which must follow due process from local council FAs to the state levels is conducted.
“By the time the caretaker committee with true representation of all Ekiti is constituted, they must follow due process, if not the same problem will continue to erupt in the system.
“Let there be equity and justice, if this is allowed, there will be peace and there will be no fight. No justice no peace”.
Meanwhile, the state FA chairman, Mr Lanlege and five others sentenced by the court were on Friday released from prison custody.
