President of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Tade Azeez, on Monday described the death of Taiwo Ogunjobi, a former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) General Secretary, as an irreparable loss.
Azeez told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin that news of Ogunjobi’s demise was a sad and unfortunate piece of news item to wake up to.
NAN reports that Ogunjobi, a former central defender for both the defunct IICC Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan and the then Green Eagles, passed on in the early hours of Monday.
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The NRA president said Ogunjobi’s death, which occurred at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, was shocking to the football family.
He added that no one would have thought the ex-international would not be around for many years to come.
“It is an unfortunate thing that we woke up to the news of his death, because he was a person we thought would be around for about 20 to 30 years more.
So, hearing about his demise is a shock to us all in the Nigerian football family.
He has been in the football circle for a long time because he started as early as possible and he died as a football person,” Azeez said.
The NRA president described Ogunjobi, who went on to manage the Shooting Stars when it later became Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) as Sole Administrator, as a jovial and humorous person.
“He tried to make everyone around him happy,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Ogunjobi who was at a time member of the NFF Executive Committee was until his death Chairman of the Osun State Football Association.(NAN)
