Ambode Donates N50M To MFM F.C, Hails Team For CAF Champions League Qualification

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday showered encomiums on players and management of the Mountain of Fires Ministries Football Club, MFM F.C.

Ambode hailed them for putting Lagos State on the African map again by returning them to continental football for the first time since 2001 when Julius Berger flew the flag of the state in the continent.

Speaking at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja when he received MFM FC alongside top officials of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, as well as some ex-internationals, the governor said it was soothing that a team from the state would be participating in the 2018 edition of the continental showpiece after over a decade. He further pledged to support the team to ensure a successful campaign at the championship.

While he congratulated the team for their rare achievement, Ambode had good words for the visionary leadership and doggedness of the founder of MFM, Pastor Kayode Olukoya who founded the team in 2007 acknowledging the state’s pride in associating with such a successful project as he praised the man of God for taking youths off crime through engaging them in sports.

In response to some requests by the team, Governor Ambode donated N25million to the footballers and officials of the club for qualifying for the CAF Champions League and another N25million to ensure a hitch-free campaign in the continent.

The Governor had directed the State Sports Commission to ensure that the Agege Stadium is ready for use and also must meet CAF standards  for the team to prosecute their continental matches.

“I want to also say that we have directed our sports team and the Sports Commission to make sure that everything needed, just as earlier requested, to ensure that Agege Stadium is certified by CAF is done,” Governor Ambode said.

While recalling the promise he made to the people during electioneering to use tourism, hospitality, entertainment and arts as well as sports for excellence, Governor Ambode said the achievement of  the team strongly conforms with the vision and plan of the State Government to use sports to advance the economy and positively engage the youths.

According to him, “We need sports to use it as an instrument to build the economy of Lagos and also direct the energy of our younger ones to things that are very positive as exemplified by what is happening today. Beyond football, they continue to use it for their own mental ability to be able to be proud future leaders in this country and that is what we are trying to say.

“It is a way of propagating new leaders and people who are properly disciplined because you need a lot of discipline to play football. There are things that are not taught in schools that you actually find in sports and that is the direction we are trying to go with youth development in this State and so I like to commend the team and the officials,” the Governor said.

Governor Ambode further revealed plans to improve the Onikan Stadium to international standards and also finish the ongoing Lagos Games Village as part of its promise to make socialization a strong point in Lagos State as always.

Also, the Governor said his administration would soon invite stakeholders in the sports sector to discuss modalities for the Lagos Premier League which, according to him, would have twenty teams.

However, Governor Ambode charged the MFM FC to be good ambassadors of the State and be at their best at the tournament.

Earlier, MFM Director of Sports Worldwide, Mr Godwin Enakhena commended Governor Ambode and indeed the State Government for the support so far extended to the team, saying the assistance contributed to the feat achieved by the team to play at the continental level.

He recalled how the State Government released Agege Stadium to MFM FC free of charge for use as home-ground and other security arrangements, as well as logistics, adding that the immense support of the government was well appreciated.

Enakhena, who spoke on behalf of Pastor Olukoya, however, urged the State Government to continue to support the team especially financial support and also make Agege Stadium suitable for CAF Champions League, the requests which were instantly granted by the Governor.

MFM placed second last season behind Plateau United in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

Aledeh. Com