……..I’m grateful to Ladipo
By Benedict Nwachukwu, Abuja
President of Authentic Football Supporters Club, Abayomi Ogunjimi aka Bonfrere has declared that the club has come to stay despite the storms of opposition even as he maintained that he is capable of calming the storms.
Ogunjimi, in an interview with www.theajasanews.com in Abuja said he has paid his dues as far as supporting the national teams in all the categories of matches is concerned. He noted that after over two decades as a member of supporters club under the tutelage of Dr. Rafiu Ladipo where he rose from being the first mascot painter to the post of national Organizing Secretary before the splinter led by Festus Okumagba where he became the Vice President before he also left to form the Authentic Football Supporters Club.
Ogunjimi popularly known as Bonfrere a name given to him by his admirers after the former Super Eagles Technical Adviser Bonfrere Jo said he has a lot of respect for Ladipo who God used to bring him to the level he is now in football supporter ship, adding that it took his total loyalty to those in authority and zeal to follow instruction to be who he is today.
“I must tell you and of course you know that I have paid my dues. I was a little boy when I joined the Nigeria Football Supporters Club led by our father Dr. Rafiu Ladipo. I was used as the first mascot in one of the Super Eagles matches. I performed very well and all the members and fans loved it. That was the genesis of mascot painting. From there I began to rise by holding different positions. So I have put in over two decades in active support for the national teams, Super Eagles, Dream Team, Flying Eagles, Golden Eaglets, Super Falcons, Falconets and Flamengoes.”
Bonfrere maintained that supporters club is a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) that every individual is free to belong or even form his own provided he meets the requirements.
While narrating what led to his decision to form the Authentic Football Supporters Club, Ogunjimi said he was not power drunk and had no inordinate ambition because he knew that when God approves a thing, nobody or group of people will be able to stop it.
He said, having served others with absolute loyalty and seeing people fight for positions even to the extent that they threw caution over board, he became disgusted and waited for nobody to tell him time was up and equally ripe for him to part ways with such people so that he would not destroy the good relationship has labored many years to build.
He said though he had no intention to join issues with anybody or group, he wants Nigerians to know that he did not scatter any club in order to form his own rather he realized that the time for him to forge ahead was ripe and there was no reason to dilly dally. “When people are interested in what they will get and not what to give to the club, then I have no business remaining with such person in the same club.”
The Authentic Football Supporters Club President claims that the Super Eagles team to the forthcoming Afcon in Egypt will do well. He said the championship will be tough but it is then that the Super Eagles will prove their worth.
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