Two years ago, just before the governorship election in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde appeared live on FRESH FM Ibadan for an exclusive interview.
It was a defining moment where he presented an account of his first term in office and made his case for a second term—a feat that, until then, had only been achieved by the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo State’s political history.
While the program was rounding off, the host, Mayor Isaac Brown graciously gave me the opportunity to ask the governor two sports-related questions about the state of Sports in the state.
I seized the moment to tell the governor about the legacy of the 1998 Shooting Stars squad: a team that won both the Nigerian League title and the WAFU Cup, bringing immense pride to Oyo State.
Back then, the state government promised each player a sum of one million naira and a plot of land as a reward for their heroic feat.
But that promise, made in 1998, was never fulfilled.
Late Elder Bode Oyewole, who was the club chairman during that victorious campaign, made relentless efforts to get the government to honor its word. Over 15 letters were written to successive administrations, including those led by the late Governors Alao Akala and Abiola Ajimobi—none of which received a response. I know this because Elder Bode Oyewole personally told me when he appeared as a guest on my sports show at BCOS TV.
He even showed me copies of those letters.
According to him, two additional letters had been sent to Governor Seyi Makinde through then-Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Seun Fakorede. Still, there was no response.
So when I had the rare opportunity to speak directly to the governor on air, I raised the matter. I informed him about the letters, the unfulfilled promises, and the players who had been waiting for decades. Governor Makinde appeared genuinely surprised. He stated clearly—and publicly—that he had never seen any copy of the letters on his table and he made a promise: “If re-elected, I will look into it.”
God was good to him, he won the election hands down, and true to his promise, he set up a five-man committee to review the request made by the 1998 set of Shooting Stars in 2024, a year after he got re-elected.
The names of Committee Members set up by the Governor to investigate the delay in rewards of 3sc 1998 set were
1) Rev Idowu Ogedengbe = C/M
2) Hon. Babatunde Olaniyan ( chairman 3sc)
3). Mrs Bisi Adegoke ( Dir of sports ministry)
4) Mrs Bukola ( PS ministry of sports)
5) Mr Babayemi ( 3sc Admin mgr) = Secretary of the committee.
After their recommendation, the governor approved the allocation of plots of land to the players, technical crew and board members fulfilling a 28—year-old promise long ignored by previous administrations. In doing so, Gov Seyi Makinde put smiles on the faces of forgotten heroes and warriors of the state
Akin Maxwell Makinde, a board member of the team in 1998 who took over the struggle to get the promise fulfilled after the death of Elder Bode Oyewole shared the news with me last night and I could feel the joy in his heart
Let’s put politics aside—how do you not appreciate a leader like this?
Whether you support him or not, the facts speak for themselves: Governor Seyi Makinde will go down in history as one of the most people-focused, responsive, and impactful leaders Oyo State has ever had.
A promise delayed.
A legacy restored.
A governor who listens.
Thank you, GSM for fulfilling a part of our national anthem – “The Labour of our heroes past, shall never be in vain”
Oyo State Government
- Radio Friend
