Former Secretary General of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) which is now known as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi was on Thursday, honoured at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, as eulogies pour in from families, friends, colleagues in NFF and Nollywood, and also from the Government.
The NFF and others closed to the late Taiwo Ogunjobi were all at the stadium where he was lying in state as the former international defender, former Secretary General of the NFA and one –time Member of the Board of NFF was honoured before the final interment of his remains which will take place today, Friday.
According to the statement made available by NFF, the rites of passage began on Tuesday in Oshogbo, capital of Osun State and where he served as Chairman of the State Football Association until his passing, with some youth football and tributes, before the train headed for Ibadan, the largest city in West Africa, capital of Oyo State and the town where Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi spent most of his lifetime.
On Wednesday, the Western Nigeria Football Forum, headed by the First Vice President of NFF, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi, and for which Ogunjobi was a key actor, galvanizer and advisor, held a symposium in his honour with the theme: ‘Celebrating the Life and Times of Ogunjobi.’
At the symposium were the Chairman of the Western Nigeria Football Forum and NFF First Vice President Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi; NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi; NFF’s zonal coordinators led by the Chairman of Chairmen, Alh. Ibrahim Musa Gusau; former NFF President, Gen. Dominic Oneya (rtd); former NFF First Vice President, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam; former NFF General Secretaries Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Ambassador Fanny Amun; two –time Head Coach of the Senior National Team, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde; President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Oladipo; former international players, Dr. Felix Owolabi and Mutiu Adepoju and; senior stakeholders of the game from far and near, including Mr. Ade Somefun.
Prominent persons at the symposium paid homage to Ogunjobi, a man regarded as one of the most charismatic administrators in the history of Nigerian Football, with Akinwunmi saying:
“This is an avenue to honour him because he did so well for football in the South West and Nigeria as a whole.”