My First Million Naira Came From Kwara United, Zamalek Gate Takings – Ex COED Provost

Date: 2023-08-25

Former provost, Kwara College of Education, KCOE, Ilorin, and seasoned soccer buff and administrator, Alhaji Jimoh Ayinla, PhD, has sensationally revealed that his first million ever made was from gate takings of a continental match between home team Kwara United and Zamalek Football Club of Egypt at the Kwara State Stadium.

The educationist and former grade one referee made the disclosure on Wednesday as part of remark made during small party in celebration of his 63rd Birthday at his home in Ilorin.Gracing the occasion were his beloved wife, Bola Omowumi, Prof Shuaib Oniyangi, who delivered a lecture on sports as unifying factor, Engnr. Kazeem Jato, who facilitate the program in honour of the retired provost and host many other close family friends.

Ayinla believes strongly that soccer can adequately run itself like a business.

Ironically, another sports administrator in Ilorin, Ibrahim Bako, Director of Sports at the state's Sports Commission recently disclosed that soccer scouts/agents are making a killing from products from the state owned soccer academy at expense of the state government.

But Dr Ayinla's revelations would show that poor maximisation of football into money making venture rather than money losing shambles as currently obtains didn't begin recently.

“I counted my first one million naira from gate takings I made from Kwara United versus Zamalek of Egypt club Continental match, here in Ilorin,” explained the former college provost.

According to him, gate taking franchise for the club was given to him as part of measures to raise money for the local football club after many philanthropic gestures to the club.

“It all began from when the club was Kwara Bombers and each time they want to play match, they come to me for assistance.

“When I enquired from them what they do with their gate takings, I was shocked to learn that they make as small as N35, 000 to N40,000 per match.

“This was unacceptable for me. At the time, I was teaching at Command Secondary School Sobi.

“I asked and was given franchise to run the gate takings for the club. So with help of the army and police on horseback, I created a water tight ticketing system.

“In the first match I made N120, 000. In the second, I made about N200, 000 and remitted more money for the club,” Dr Ayinla said.

Speaking on Kwara, Zamalek match, the former provost said that the club needed funding while then late Governor Lawal was away from the state.

“I provided money for the club to prosecute the game and I was given the gate taking venture to manage.

“It was in that match that I made my first million naira ever,” he said.

But speaking on why it has been so difficult to make soccer a money spinning business, the soccer loving educationist said politics is to blame.

Going back memory lane again, the educationist stated that he was denied chance to run Kwara United despite his demonstrable ability to turn the club into a viable venture.

“During the second tenure of Bukola Saraki, I showed keen interest in taking over and running Kwara United.

“But as it turned out, everything was politicized. The position was given to Henry George. That was the time he was appointed chairman of Kwara United.

” As I learnt, I wasn't given the appointment because I was too close to Late Governor Mohammed Lawal. Even at that, I didn't distance myself from the government of the day.

” But then, at a stage, the then SA Sports to Governor Saraki, Zakari Mohammad, called me to ask if I would be considered for the vice chairman of of the club.

” I said no. I said I won't take a vice chairman under someone I consider that has never been into sports.

“One of the proposals I sent to the governor at the time was that it sports should be self sustaining. I recommended that private sector should partner with government to run sports,” he recalled.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Michael Ologundea     New Naira Notes     Abdulkareem Alabi     Olushola Saraki     Yakubu Shaaba     Kwara State Football Association     Sheriff Shagaya     Bola Iyabo Ibiyeye Adisa     Mufutau Olatinwo     Imam Gambari     Hassanat Bello     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Aishat Sulu-Gambari     Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     Makama Of Ilorin     Abdul-Rahoof Bello     Esinniobiwa Quareeb     Bashiru Makama     Kwara Volleyball Association     Samuel Elizabeth Keatswa     Jumoke F. Ajao     Elesie Of Esie     Bolaji Aladie     Offa Descendants Union     Sadiq Buhari     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Saliu Oluwole     Buari Edun     Tsaragi-Share     AGILE Programme     Ajike People Support Centre     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Abdulazeez Uthman     Arik     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     Sa\'adu Salahu     Hamza Usman     Twitter     Ahmed \'Lateef     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Amos Justus Sayo     Overland     Isiaka Abdulrazak     Susan Modupe Oluwole     Abdulmajeed Wahab     Arandun     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Www.Kwarareports.com     Sidikat Alaya     Col. Taiwo     National Broadcasting Commission     Kayode Zubair     Yahya Mohammed     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Lai Gobir     Face Masks     Taiwo Joseph     Abubakar Imam     Centre For Digital Economy     Alaro     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Local Government Pension Board     Aminat Omodara     Ibrahim Abdulkadir Abikan     AbdulKareem Yusuf Danhawa     Umar Gunu     Azeez Bello     Ilorin.Info     Gobir Organization Foundation     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Lateef Alagbonsi     David Adesina    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Law School Scholarship     Bankole Omisore     Ella Supreme Tissue Paper     Wahab Issa     Gabriel Fashanu     Nurudeen Muhammed     Onilu     Dan Iya     Umar Ahmed Gunu     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     Magaji Are     LEAH Charity Foundation     Lanre Aremu     Adebayo Salami     Oba Abdulrahim     Funmi Salau     Babata     Awwal Jawondo     Boko Haram     Aliyu Muyideen     Hameed Oladipupo Ali     Convocation Ceremonies     Ahmad Uthman     Gbajabiamila     Medview Airlines     AGILE Programme     Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq     Afolayan     JSSCE     Abdulazeez Arowona     Mohammed Abduraheem     Jimoh Akani     Kehinde Boyede     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Jaiz Bank     Bola Sagaya     Baboko     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Saad Omo Iya     Kpotum Mohammed Baba     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Aro Yahaya     Rotimi Oyedepo     Quran     Kwara State Pension Board     Sunday Fagbemi     Imam Gambari     MATTA Girls Foundation     Ahmed     Sa\'adu Gambari     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Dagbalodo     Danhawa     Shonga Farm Project     Muftau Akanbi Oke     Sabi     Abdul Jimoh Mohammed     FERMA     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Titus Suberu-Ajibola     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     Oloye     Ilofa     Offa Grammer School     Bareke     Abdulrazaq Aiyelabegan     Afolabi-Oshatimehin     Abiodun Musa Aibinu     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Salake     Fatima Abolore Jimoh     Funke Adedoyin     Gwanara     Aishat Mohammed Lawal     Oke-Odo