The board chairmen and members of Bayelsa United FC and Bayelsa Queens have been cautioned against interfering in player selection by their respective head coaches and technical staff.
Deputy Governor Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo issued this warning during a meeting with the management boards, head coaches, and assistant coaches of both teams at the Government House in Yenagoa over the weekend.
Ewhrudjakpo made it clear that government would not tolerate excuses for failure from either of the two teams in the new season, even as he told the technical crew to report any case of unnecessary interference to his office through the Commissioner for Sports Development for appropriate action.
While reiterating the present administration’s commitment to supporting the two teams to excel in subsequent league seasons, he directed the head coach of Bayelsa United, Ladan Bosso, to shop for top-notch players from the Nigerian league to boost the chances of the “Prosperity Boys” lifting the league shield this season.
The Deputy Governor revealed that government had already introduced new and innovative match bonuses for the players and coaching crews to motivate them to put in their best, even as he called on the management of both teams to stop immediately the practice of sharing match bonuses with players, warning them that t government would not spare anyone found wanting.
He stated: “We have to prepare early for this season. We don’t want a repeat of the experience we had in the last two seasons. We don’t want to hear the excuse of ‘we don’t have the right players.
“Bosso, I have told you before that government has given you and other coaches the free hand to assemble and select the best players for our teams.
“That means, management should not interfere with the duties of the coaches. Your business is to resolve issues that affect the team and not to select or field players for the head coaches. You can be involved, but don’t interfere.”
He continued :”Let me also warn that, as a government, we don’t want to hear anymore the issue of sharing match bonuses meant for the players. We will not spare anybody found wanting. Any bonus we give to the players is for the players alone.
“But let me also assure you that our administration is still very much ready to do everything within our reach to enable our teams to excel. We have already approved new and innovative match bonuses for the players and coaching crews.”
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali, pointed out that there was an urgent need to beef up the medical team of Bayelsa United, and expressed confidence in the head coaches, technical crews and players to make Bayelsa proud.
Also speaking, newly appointed Chairman of Bayelsa United, Mr. Nwankwe Tarilaye, vowed that the current board had never and would not interfere in the selection of players by the technical crew, but rather doing everything necessary for the team to succeed.
In their separate remarks, the head coaches, Ladan Bosso and Whyte Ogbundah, assured the government that with the kind of players currently at their disposal and government’s continued support, both teams would win laurels to make the state proud again.
They, however, pleaded with government to provide resources for clearance of new players on transfer to the teams, and approval for Bayelsa Queens to participate in their pre-season tournaments in Edo and Abuja.
