Family, Football Are Ambode’s Getaway

Off-the-Turf

Lagos State governor-elect, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, says he relaxes by spending time with family and watching a game of football involving his favourite club, Chelsea. Gboyega Akinsanmi writes

A fortnight has gone by after his victory in the just concluded elections. Not many people have really sought to know how he spends or shares his private moment, especially after weeks of diverse activities. The Governor-elect of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode hardly talks about his private life and what he loves doing after secular functions.

He does not have anything to hide either. But for him, his private life was not an issue. It was not an issue given the many hurdles he needed to scale while confronting perhaps the toughest challenge of his life. About 21 million Lagos residents were expectant of assurances from him that he would defend them daily if they finally gave him their mandate at the poll.

Even when indigeneship issue stoked ethnic division, Ambode had to reassure non-indigenes that he would run a government founded on the principle of equality and equity, which he claimed “is in line with the core agenda of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

But Ambode cherishes quality time with his family. Shortly before his election, THISDAY shared a moment with him in his Ikoyi home. Dressed in white polo shirt and short, Ambode sat on an Italian couch, sharing moment with his wife, Bolanle.

There were other family members around too, each of them recalling and reviewing activities of the week before and how to really meet the aspiration of Lagos people. Ambode was too attentive, listening to rich family discussion with a little banter and at the same time watching a match between Barcelona FC and Read Madrid. 

“My brother, bear with me. This is my way of easing off pressure. I spend time with my family. I also watch football matches. Great moment helps me a lot to recuperate lost energies and invigorate me for greater challenges on the political fields, especially at this toughest time,” he said, intimating this reporter that he had not forgotten he was around.

Although he was passionately watching the Barcelona-Real Madrid match, Ambode is neither a Barcelona nor Real Madrid fan. This actually attests to his passion for sports, especially football. But his allegiance lies with Chelsea FC. As one would expect, the wonder of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard tricks often thrills him, especially the manner the scorers decide the fate of every Chelsea challenger.

Lagos is perhaps lucky to have governors with passion for sports. In sports development, Ambode acknowledged great the works of the incumbent.

Ambode pledged to continue the tradition of excellence in sports development. He emphasised the need for the completion of sports complexes, which he said, are currently undergoing redevelopment and upgrading. But he said he would bring something new to the sector, which he said, would focus more on hunting for and developing people with potential.

He said his administration would, as a matter of urgency, commence the process of establishing two Sports Academies, adding that the idea was to turn Lagos to another Brazil or Spain where world-class footballers “are hunted for, trained and developed for greater global soccer challenge.” 

He also plans to establish Male and Female Sports Academy, which he said, had become imperative “to speed up an aggressive search for talents and development of the talents discovered.” This, he claimed, would form part of “our plan to decongest the camp of unemployed youths and create a class of youths who are seeking fulfillment or accomplishment in sports.”

Ambode also shares an excellent passion for entertainment and promises to make it an enviable industry on the continent. He also shares the pains of the entertainment industry, which pirates “have inflicted on the movie producers in particular.” Possibly, Ambode will lead the battle against piracy, which the industry players believed, will require the use of effective law and strong institution to protect and secure the copyrights of their intellectual properties.

He however pledged to honor his contract with the people of Lagos.  He pledged to devote all his energy and strength “to bringing even greater prosperity, growth and development to every part of this state; that I shall build on the legacy and progress of the Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola administrations; I shall bring the best of Lagos into my government and I shall make you proud and glad that you chose me as your next governor.

“The people of Lagos have demonstrated that Lagos is not about ethnicity or religion, but about a common desire to enthrone good governance. Lagos under my watch will not discriminate. It has not in the past and will not in the present. Not even in the future. There will be no political victimisation,” he said.