Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of Monday morning led the spate of mourning for the body’s former secretary-general and ex-chairman of the technical committee, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, 65, who was confirmed dead early same day.
Sports247.ng gathered that Ogunjobi died at University College Hospital, Ibadan, two days after he went for a routine medical check up and was told he needed ‘best rest,’ which he did not recover from.
The NFF issued a statement on social media to mourn the passing of Ogunjobi (aka Skippo), who was the chairman of Osun State Football Association and an aspirant for the NFF presidency in the September 2017 election, first years after first throwing his hat into the race.
Few hours after the news broke, the information department of the NFF took to social media to mourn the passing of the Ilesha, Osun State-born ex-defender-turned-administrator.
The NFF stated on social media: “We are sad to announce the shock demise of former Nigeria Int’l, Ex-NFF Gen. Sec., former NFF Executive Committee member, and current chairman, Osun State FA, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi after a brief illness. Our prayers are with his family, relatives and the football family in Nigeria.”
Ogunjobi’s death comes 35 years to the day after he made his debut for Nigeria in an Olympic Games qualifier against Morocco.
He was in the team that played goalless with Morocco on February 11, 1984, in the first leg of the last qualifier for the Olympiad in Los Angeles.
Before then, Ogunjobi played for Nigeria Academicals against Ghana in the first sports festival between both countries in 1974, and scored a hat-trick in his country’s 5-1 victory.
He captained Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan for several years and led the side to the final of the Africa Cup of Champion Clubs in 1984.
After an active playing career, Ogunjobi moved into administration, and served as secretary-general of then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) between 2002 and 2005.
Ogunjobi, who had also been a member of the NFF Executive Committee between 2006 and 2010, first ventured into football administration as general-manager of Shooting Stars, a role he also later enjoyed with Gabros International of Nnewi and Julius Berger FC of Lagos.
His personal assistant and Osun United spokesman, Tunde Shamsudeen disclosed: “He was in hospital on Saturday and doctors ordered a bed rest, but he passed away Monday morning in Ibadan.”
