Tributes have continued to pour in for former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation, Taiwo Ogunjobi , who died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan , on Monday .
The Ilesa – born football administrator passed on at the UCH after an undisclosed ailment , aged 65.
Ogunjobi served as Secretary General of the then Nigeria Football Association between 2002 and 2005 , and was a member of the NFF Executive Committee between 2006 and 2010 .
He was twice an NFF presidential candidate but lost on both occasions to the incumbent Amaju Pinnick .
He was captain of Ibadan side Shooting Stars , when they reached the final of the then Africa Cup of Champions Clubs in 1984.
A family source said Ogunjobi’ s health situation deteriorated Sunday before he finally gave up the ghost in the early hours of Monday .
“ I am shocked to hear of Chief Ogunjobi’ s death. I saw him last year prior to the NFF elections.
He came to personally inform me of his intention to contest the NFF presidential elections.
He was a seasoned administrator , who contributed immensely to the development of football in Nigeria , especially in his home state , Osun .
I commiserate with his immediate family members , the Osun State Football Association, and other football stakeholders who knew or worked with him , ” sports minister , Solomon Dalung , said in a statement signed by his media assistant Nneka Anibeze .
NFF president Amaju Pinnick also paid tribute to the former Green Eagles defender.
“ I cannot find the words as much as I try. A very big tree has fallen in Nigerian football and we are all devastated . If the NFF had a flag of its own , it would fly at half – mast for several weeks, ” Pinnick stated.
“ Chief Ogunjobi was one of the strongest pillars of association football in Nigeria and the entire Nigerian football fraternity will miss him badly .
The members of the NFF Executive Committee , management and staff of the NFF , members of the Congress , football stakeholders and other workers in football are in shock . ”
Ex – Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde expressed shock over Ogunjobi’ s demise.
He said , “I heard the news about Ogunjobi’ s death , and it ’ s so unfortunate . I don’ t think I can get over the shock in the next three days .
I feel so sad right now because we’ ve come a long way together. I was the one who brought him to Shooting Stars . May his soul rest in peace . ”
Christian Chukwu , former Green Eagles captain and Eagles’ coach, said the country would miss Ogunjobi’ s intellectual contributions to the development of Nigerian football .
The League Management Company described the death of the fallen football administrator as a huge loss to the Nigeria Professional Football League .
Shehu Dikko , the LMC chairman , said , “Chief Ogunjobi is one of the heroes of league football in Nigeria having captained IICC, a traditional club in our league system that stands today as an institution .
He also rose to the pinnacle of football administration in the country as Secretary General of the NFF . ”
Though Ogunjobi died of an undisclosed ailment, his Personal Assistant, Tunde Shamsudeen , said he had complained of body pains last week , and went to the University College Hospital , Ibadan for a check – up .
He said , “We were together in Ilesa (Osun State ) on Thursday for Ijesha Golden Warriors ’ 50th anniversary.
But on Saturday he called and asked me to represent him at the Osun Sports Writers Association of Nigeria awards night , saying he wasn ’ t feeling too fine .
He then went to UCH for a check – up and I learnt he was admitted on bed rest.
“ But I was shocked this (Monday ) morning when his driver called to tell me that he had died. He was aged 65 and is survived by a wife and five children , three boys and two girls. ”
