Following the official pronouncement by Lagos State Football Association LSFA that all sporting activities including football competitions should put on hold as a result of pandemic disease COVID-19, some stakeholders took to social media and expressed their divergent opinions on the decision of state football ruling body.
The sporting activities have been stopped in Nigeria for almost five months due to pandemic disease COVID-19 which threatens human existence worldwide.
The Lagos State Football Association observed that football activities had returned to the state recently despite the lockdown in the sports sector which informed the state football ruling body to clamp down on any organiser, club owner, and coach who flaunt the government directives.
While a member of Association of Proprietors Football Academies of Nigeria, APFAN, Michael Etim has commended the effort of LSFA on its decision, he also urged all football academies both in Lagos and another part of the country to shun football activities at this period of pandemic disease COVID-19 in the country.
But President of Utility Sport FC, Lawal Abiodun has condemned the continued closure of sports centres and outright ban of football activities in Lagos.
He said the government should also look at the side effects of those who are making a livelihood in the sports sector.
“We are aware that there is a pandemic disease which has come to stay with us. By now, I expect the government to give us COVID-19 protocols safety and guidelines to prepare us for resumption. Many players have turned to social miscreants in their various locations and while some coaches, club owners are dying of hunger, since lockdown had started in the country,” he said.
In his own comment, chairman Iganmu FC, Abayomi Egbayelo cautioned football stakeholders to exercise patience saying that what the government is saying is for the benefits of stakeholders in the industry.
“The situation is pathetic so we should abide by the rules and regulations of the government.covid- 19 is real and it killed millions of people worldwide and is still killing people on a regular basis,” he said.
Ex international and football Organiser, Richard Akorom felt sad how the government handle the sports sector. He said the sports sector should open so that the high level of social miscreants in society would be reduced drastically.
