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By Bola Bamigbola, Osogbo
About 80 athletes working with the Osun State Sports Council on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the Osogbo City Stadium in protest of poor disposition of the state government to their welfare.
The protesters said since 2012 they were not rewarded for winning medals while representing the state, adding that the sports council also refused to offer them job opportunities whenever there were vacancies to be filled.
During the protest, workers at the stadium were prevented from accessing their offices, as the athletes refused to remove the barricade at the entrance despite appeals by the workers.
Rotimi Dunmoye, General Manager, Osun State Sports Council, who was seen appealing to the protesters, declined comments on the issue.
Weightlifter and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Islamiyat Yusuf, who was part of the protest, lamented the lack of facilities for training and poor welfare package for the athletes.
“We are here to express our feelings and fight for our rights regarding the reward for athletes, facilities for training and lack of employment opportunities for athletes working with the state government.
“Athletes are suffering here. Majority of us have already moved to other states with better welfare packages. Even as a Commonwealth medalist, if you see where I am training, it is nothing to write home about.”
Para-powerlifter Rasaq Olawale urged the state government to put in place a better welfare package and employment opportunities for sportsmen and women in the state.
Efforts to get reaction from the state government failed, as telephone calls to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Taiwo Oladunjoye, did not go through, while he didn’t respond to the text message sent to her as of the time of filing this report.
