Anambra State government through the Sports Development Commission, has given the Anambra State Football Association Chairman 48 hrs to witdraw the letter banning one of her senior staff, Chijioke Onyedika from football related activities for five years.
This was contained in the letter to the Anambra State Football Association Chairman signed by Mr. Patrick Estate Onyedum, Chairman Anambra State Sports Development Commission over the ban on Chijioke Onyedika, who is a cimmittee member of the Traders sports competition which is organized by the Sports Development Commission.
According to the letter, “The attention of the Anambra State Sports Development Commission has been drawn to a misguided and asinine letter from the Anambra State Football Association branding competition organised by the Commission as FAKE and ILLEGAL.
“The letter which was addressed to Chijioke Onyedika, a Staff of the Cornmission also
purportedly banned him from further participation in football activities and from accessing football arena anywhere in the state for five years with threats of arrest.
The Commission views this as an affront to the authority of Anambra State Government
which Onyedika represents”.
The letter maintained that for “the avoidance of doubt, Chijioke Onyedika is neither a member nor a representative
of the government in the Anambra State Football Association Board but a senior staff the Anambra State Government in the Sports Developnent Commission.
“He carries the seal of approval of the state government to act in any capacity assigned to him.
‘Therefore, you do not have the powers to stop him from acting on behalf of the state
Government or have the capacity to stop him from entering any football facility within the state” the letter stated.
The letter described the FA action as a veiled and unwarranted attack on the Sports Commission which is vested with
the powers to drive sports development at the grassroots and amateur levels as contained in the Commission’s Establishment Law of 2018.
“The Commission takes exception to this over-reaching action from the Anambra State FA
under your Chairmanship and warns that this action must not repeat itself in the future.
“The Commission therefore demands withdrawal of that letter within 48 hours and an unreserved apology to the Commission and Mr Governor on whose behalf Chijioke
Onyedika is acting.
“The apology must be published in two national dailies and online.
It will recalled that that Anambra State Football Association through the Acting Secretary, Ralph Nweke, had issued a letter banning Chijioke Onyedika for five years from football related activities with a threat to arrest him if seen within football activities. According to the letter, Mr. Onyedika refused to appear before the FA disciplinary committee to answer charges against him bothering on violation of FA status.
Ikemefuna Asika reporting from Awka.
