An Open Letter To The Nigerian President – Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, @AderonkeW

Dear Mr. President,

I am personally moved to write you this letter before the General Elections which will be a determinant for your second term in office.

Discussing the reasons behind my writing this letter, you have given the Nigerian women a lot of chance to showcase their talents through administration and empowerment, the 35% slot is highly commendable.

Today is the International Women’s day and I am using this day through this letter to remind you of the forgotten Super Falcons, the team with the highest record of successes in all the football teams we have in Nigeria.

Super Falcons

These young women gave their all, some played for the country wearing sanitary towels/tampons. It was inconvenient Mr. President, yet they came out successful, leaving their emotional issues behind, they took it upon themselves to bring glory to the country.

Mr. President, let me take you down the memory lane, in case you have forgotten, it doesn’t take you this long to host the Super Eagles when they won the African Cup of Nations in 2013 and also the U17 for their victory in Dubai last year when they won the World Cup, the women are waiting.

Each time you campaign for your second term in office, you talk about reforms and successes in the sports sector. On the contrary your Mrs Jonathan, the First Lady has never identified with these girls successes in her campaign, being a part of the successful Nigerian women under your Administration, Oh well!

Jonathan Goodluck, Nigerian President

I am calling out to you to do the needful, fulfill all righteousness, be fair to the girls, host them, honour and pamper them.

They will soon represent Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup and hosting them will be a form of encouragement. It will push the girls to win the Tournament.

I have written this letter in genuine concern for the female footballers. I remain apolitical, with no personal stake, a true Nigerian who believe so much in the power of sports in Nigeria.

Thank You,

Twitter @AderonkeW

“Lets Broker Peace In The Nigerian Football Family” Ogunleye

There is need for peace to reign in the two months old crisis that has been lingering in the football family, a journalist has disclosed.

In a press statement signed by Aderonke Ogunleye on Monday in Abuja, the award winning journalist, social change initiator and sports development enthusiast has called on all the parties involved in the ruckus going on in the football family to soft pedal and allow peace reign,

“This crisis has been lingering for too long without a solution, I want to implore all the bodies involved to look into the situation, especially the hurt their actions will cause Nigeria as a nation, they should please soft pedal and allow peace to reign”

“in the past few years Nigerian football has reached a mileage with making and setting new records, the U20 girls just came out with a fantastic performance at the just concluded world cup in Canada. They have set a new world cup record, now we have the AFCON trophy to defend with a crucial match to play in Calabar at home, even so many engagements are also ahead. We cannot afford to be banned by FIFA tonight” she added.

The former Football administrator implored the sports ministry, associations and federal committees’ on sports to step into the prolonged problem, “Sports ministry, veteran stakeholders, Ex- internationals, senate and house committee on sports should step into this matter,” she pleaded

Aderonke Ogunleye

However she recognized the fact that some are just selfish but this is not the time to be selfish but to have the interest of the 170 million football loving Nigerians in mind,

“well as much as some are being selfish in this matter and as a professional journalist I can only be objective, I just want to beg them to remember that posterity will judge them, let’s leave self-interest and channel the energy in developing the game of football in Nigeria” she concluded.

#BringBackOurgirls – 100 days Football Match For Abducted Chibok Girls Holds In Abuja

100 days game 4 chibok girls

…..Female Footballers begs for the release of the kidnapped school girls……….

The 100th day of #BringBackOurGirls is aimed at highlighting the potential of sports to bring back the abducted Chibok girls.

In commemoration of the 100 days since over 200 school girls abduction in Chibok Nigeria, some women football players in Abuja took to the playing field for a “100 days football Match for the missing Chibok Girls” on Tuesday, July 22.

The match, which was played between two football teams in Abuja, Dream Girls Women and Airtel girls FC ended 1-0 in favour of the Dream girls.

With the nonstop attack on Nigerians by the Terrorism Group in the North-East, and the abduction of school girls; the match organizer, Aderonke Ogunleye thought it very relevant to ask for their return using Sports.

Gloria Ewelike a central midfielder with Airtel girls FC urged the Federal Government to find a way to stop Boko Haram from killing Nigerians, she also prayed to God for their return

“I want to beg the government to try and stop Boko Haram from killing and bombing, We pray to God to help bring back the girls, God should soften their minds and return the girls to their parents” She said.

Organiser of the event, award winning journalist and Social Change initiator Aderonke Ogunleye, said she organised the event because she believed there is power in sports for development.

“Sports is a powerful tool, a silent force that can be used to make great impact in the society, a universal language and of course the only thing that brings Nigerian together, we are imploring “Boko Haram” to please release the kidnapped Chibok girls” she said

“It has been a hundred days of wailing and crying in the household of these girls, mothers are not happy about it,/we are begging the insurgents to please let our girls go back home to their parents” she pleaded.

Partners of the event are the Nigerian Red cross, UN Women and Airtel

Ms. Ogunleye thanked the partners for making the event a success.

“We thank all our partners for being part of today’s match. It shows their commitments for a better society,I salute their zeal to bring joy into the lives of the parents of these girls, I am grateful”

100 days Football match for the abducted Chibok Girls

UN Day on Sports for Peace and Development: School children demand peace in Nigeria

Young School children, in commemoration of the United Nations day on Sports for Peace and Development in Nigeria, played a ‘football match for peace’ on Friday April 4.

The match was played between LEA school Utako and LEA school zone 2, ended 1-0 in favour of LEA Utako.

The children, put in their best, in a bid to call the government to act on their role of protecting the citizens from mayhem and bringing
about peace in Nigeria.

With the continuous attack on people including children in Nigeria, especially the murder of about 22 children in February by the dreaded Boko Haram sect, the children thought it very relevant to ask for peace using sport.

Isah Ahmed a primary school student, urged the federal government to put a stop to the killings and find a way to stop the several sects tormenting and torturing the lives of people. He said “I want to beg the government to put a stop to the killing of school children, Boko haram should also please stop torturing the people, please I beg”.

The International Day of sports for peace is to highlight the potential of sports to advance peoples life and promote global
solidarity. The event coordinator, an award winning journalist Ms Aderonke Ogunleye, said she organised the event because she believes there is power in sports for development.

“Sports is a powerful tool for development, it helps in spreading messages of peace, driving social change and meeting the millennium
development goals, and we equally use it to ask for peace in Nigeria”.

I believe in a peaceful nation, a peaceful Nigeria and it can be echoed through the football match,” she said

Speaking about the event, she said the football match was a successful one.

“‘The school children were all happy with what they did, being peace ambassadors made them happy. I join million Nigerians to tell all the terrorist groups to stop the attack and embrace peace”.

Eugene Igbudu, Representative of the UNAIDS Country director Dr. Camara Bilali at the event also said they are on a road to educate for peace, he said “it is our own way of bringing peace to the nation, we are here to educate children and Nigerians on the need for peace through activities like this sports especially which is a universal language, this way we can achieve peace and achieve all our goals and objectives, it is a developmental process”

The event was sponsored by the Nigeria Football federation, Nigerian Red cross, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and John Utaka Foundation.

The event organizer Ms Ogunleye thanked the partners for helping bring the event to fruition. She said, “‘We thank all our partners for being part of this remarkable event, it actually shows they are socially responsible and also showed their contributions to the society. We are indeed grateful and I wish them all the best”.

UN Sports for Peace and Development day: Football peace event in Nigeria

A football match in commemoration of the United Nations (UN) Sports for Peace and Development day will hold on Friday, April 4, in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.

The football match is aimed at passing the message of peace in a country in need a peace themed message. The match, which will hold at the football field of LEA school Utako, will serve as an an avenue for students to implore the Nigerian government to seek for solutions to end conflicts and terrorism attacks.

Speaking about the event, the Coordinator of the match, an award winning sports journalist and a social change initiator, Aderonke Ogunleye, said she intends to live indelible marks in the lives of the school children and make the day unforgettable.

“The whole idea is having fun in a learning process, and to make a positive impact in the society through the power of sports which is known as a unifying factor. Sports cut across language race ethnicity and beliefs”.

“We know that sports can make a huge difference particularly in developing communities, the football match will be an avenue to plead to various sects in Nigeria to seek peace in their dealings”.

To make the event a success, the UNAIDS, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and The John Utaka Foundation have partnered with Ms. Ogunleye.

Ms. Ogunleye is glad for the partnership. She said, “We thank our partners for believing in this project by showcasing their passion for the growth of Nigeria and for being a peace maker through sports. We are very grateful and we wish them all the best,” she concluded

At the 2013 General Assembly, the UN proclaimed April 6 as the international day for sports for development and peace in recognition of the power of sport to mobilize people around the world for development; to use sports as a tool for increasing self confidence and as an alternative to end conflict