BENIN- Jaret Tenebe, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo chapter, has been unveiled as the new Chairman of the Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony on Friday in Benin, the Executive Chairman of the Edo Sports Commission, Amadin Enabulele, described Tenebe as “a highly respected individual with a proven track record of success”.
Enabulele therefore tasked the new Bendel Insurance Football club chairman to elevate the club to continental prominence, while expressing confidence in his ability to transform its fortunes.
“Under his leadership, we expect to see our club reach new heights, because with his wealth of experience and passion for football, we believe Bendel Insurance is poised to dominate both the national league and the continental stage,” Enabulele said.
He noted that the unveiling of the new chairman comes after a season of remarkable turn around for the club, which has been in the relegation zone before the current sports commission management took over.
Enabulele however lauded the the club’s performance for finishing in fifth place, saying it was a testament to strategic restructuring.
“Although fifth place is not our ultimate goal, we aim to see Bendel Insurance consistently qualify to represent Nigeria at continental levels starting from the 2025/2026 season,” he added.
The Edo sports commission boss noted that the appointment of Tenebe was a product of careful consideration, especially given his longstanding interest in football and his commitment to Bendel Insurance.
He added that the restructuring was part of broader reforms to reposition the club as a leading sports brand.
“Bendel Insurance has a culture of excellence, respect, teamwork and value for one another. The capability of our new chairman to promote this brand and sustain the culture is not in doubt,” Enabulele stressed.
He also acknowledged the contributions and dedication to service of the club’s immediate past chairman and former Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
“As we usher in this new era, I encourage everyone to support the new chairman so we can all continue to celebrate victories and make our club proud,” he further said.
In his remarks, Tenebe pledged to transform the club into a financially independent powerhouse by taking the club to the capital market.
“Football is big business and we believe state governments should not be directly funding football clubs because with the right strategy, football is more profitable than oil.
“We plan to list Bendel Insurance on the Capital Market. We know what to do to fix the gaps. We want to make this club competitive enough to buy players internationally and run it as a profitable enterprise,” Tenebe said. (NAN)
