By Bright Gbotemi, Osogbo
OSUN: State sports council Coaches, have complained bitterly over the paltry pay packets they receive. They quoted the sum of #15,000 and said investing for their future was not as easy as many will like to believe.
On Tuesday, January 9th, information shows that the coaches are contract staff and are placed on N15,000 salary while contract athletes were earning N12,000, which is the lowest in the South-West, since January 2012.
Whereas counterpart from Lagos and Oyo states respectively, earn N40,000 while contract athletes receive N30,000 as salary, findings revealed.
It was gathered that in a sport with three coaches, the sum of N30,000 would be shared among them as remuneration.
Information further revealed that only two players in a team sport like Volleyball and Tennis are being paid the N12,000.M, and that out of 30 sports in the state, only football is being given priority by the General Manager.
Based on information gathered, most of the sports in the state have no regular coach. Only Volleyball has a substantive coach who is a government worker.
A contract coach who spoke with the online newspaper, on condition of anonymity said: “The amount contract coaches and athletes are being paid in Osun State is appalling. For 12 years now, contract coaches are earning N15,000 while an athlete is being paid N12,000.
“This will induce fraud and extortion in to the system. It will also encourage coaches to go to individuals to solicit for money when they are short paid.
“The poor remuneration has also induced player migration from Osun State to oil producing states.
“A coach in Osun United earn N15,000 while the players earn N50,000, how do you expect seriousness in such team. Majority of things in the stadium are being done by the coaches.
“The government has not done much for the Sports Council. The only thing they get from the government is two balls for a year. The focus of the government is only on Osun United and Osun Babes. All other sports are not getting the necessary attention.
“There’s no budget for other sports in the state aside football. And we have about 28 Sports in the state.”
VOICE AIR MEDIA (VAM NEWS) in the report, Stakeholders in the sport sector have appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke and his Deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, who doubles as the Supervising Commissioner for the Ministry of Sports, to save their souls over poor renumeration, also they called for recruitment of more coaches across board and the need for timely program, seminar and training for coaches at the sports council.
The stakeholders specifically urged the state government to recruit more female coaches to train female athletes so as to avert sexual harassment.
Osun Sports Council Chairman Reacts
The Director of Coaching at the Osun Sports Council, Mr Demola Daini, said the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, was committed to addressing the challenges confronting the sport council.
Daini noted that the government has sent contractors to inspect facilities in the stadium, adding that there is enough provision for sports in the 2024 budget.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the commissioner for sports in the state proved abortive as at time of filling this report.