The Ondo State Government has expressed its readiness to sell the state-owned football clubs—the Sunshine Stars and the Sunshine Queens, both of Akure.
While Sunshine FC are currently playing in the Nigeria Professional Football League, the Sunshine Queens are playing in the second division of Nigeria Women Professional Football League.
The state Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Mr. Bamidele Ologunloluwa who disclosed this in an interview on Crest FM, Akure, said the state-owned football teams were open for sale or privatisation to the right investors by the end of the ongoing 2022/2023 league season.
The commissioner noted that the clubs needed to be privatised for proper administration, adding that it may lead to the government handing off the clubs completely or partnering with investors.
According to him, if a bigger organisation showed interest in buying the club, it would be sold immediately.
He said, “If a club like Manchester United for example says there is a club in Ondo State called Sunshine Stars and we want to have them as our feeder’s team, are you saying we are not going to sell? We will sell immediately
Not because we didn’t like Sunshine Stars, because it is even good for us as a state, it is good for the boys, for sports development, because the government has no business in business.”
He,however, noted that the club would be sold to any company or individual with a good track record.
He also stated that no one had shown interest currently and that the club was not in the market for now in order not to distract it from the ongoing NPFL.
“We just registered a company now; Ondo Sports Limited, Sunshine Stars FC, Sunshine Queens, Risings Stars put together, at the end of the season, we are going into full-fledged privatisation.
“It is better for us as a state, but some people don’t understand this. Once it happens, they will thank Mr Governor. People need to understand that if the right company takes over Sunshine Stars, there will be more jobs, nothing like losing a job, it has to be in the Memorandum of Understanding, they must have their offices in the three Senatorial Districts, they must have their ministry in the districts to harvest legs,” he submitted.