Truly, this writer is lost for words to describe the events at the Ministry of Sports without sounding bitterly incoherent (as always?), but professional training intervened and there you go. A spoiled child is bound to learn how to be unspoiled outside his home and the unspoiled child may have difficulty adjusting to any sudden wealth.
Writing about sports administration in Nigeria is really a different kind of art where political correctness is out of the door to get an effective response. An effective response is when the writer shakes the fabric of the establishment’s leader or supporters of such person and such leader attempts severally to clandestinely eliminate the writer (well professional speaking).
Recent Events
In the past week, several newspapers noted that Adokiye Amesiamaka declined membership of the sports Minister’s committee to chat a new course for sports, but his reasons were scripted. One can say he is uncomfortable with the composition of the group.
It would appear that the duo of incompetent fake High Performance Directors, namely, Angie Taylor and Eric Campbell will continue to rely on oral contract between them and Mr. Solomon Dalung, the sports Minister, a story in the public domain suggests that the duo refused to sign the contract (because of the proviso of sack at any time). A legal mind will understand Mr. Dalung tactics and it is simply a cover-up attempt to avoid investigation on why Public Procurement Act 2007 (PPA) was not complied with in engaging those people whether orally or in writing.
It is also true that Mr. Dalung had been spending too much time in his home state, Plateau without one day stepping foot at Liberty Stadium Ibadan and several other National Stadiums across the country. The arguments and several allegations suggest that Mr. Dalung is promoting himself in Plateau State in preparation for the 2019 gubernatorial election there. If true, this cannot be helpful to promote sports in Nigeria as a whole.
Football
The imbroglio over who leads football federation is ripe with back and forth allegations between some individuals, even in the presence of the sports Minister, the SUPERVISOR. Few weeks ago he was simply ignored and the parties went to court.
A few days after Mr. Dalung brokered peace between that football federation and its coach, Mr. Sunday Oliseh, the coach quits the national team the same way he was ushered in by Mr. Amaju Pinick without any semblance of due process, but the publicly declared illegal football federation cried foul. The argument between both parties is better left for the judicial process, but one thing is clear, Mr. Dalung who claimed that he was referred to as a novice is having a hard time convincing coaches, athletes and other sports industry stakeholders, including sports writers of his talents.
The Minister’s argument against being called a novice was that he won a medal in the 4x400m relay at the National Stadium Lagos. Unfortunately, he failed to identify; the competition, his state team, his team members and the dates. The responses to such 4×400 relay medal statement were overwhelming, although this writer was not in Nigeria then, but Plateau State athletes of that year cannot confirm this story. St. Joseph College Vom of Plateau State usually leads most school competition in Plateau State back then and one of those boys (in 1980) before this writer left the country shores said, unless the Minister goes by different name and his appearance drastically changed, the story is questionable.
Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC)
A big controversy is brewing on the women committee chairmanship inaugurated by the sports Minister and others on how the appointment was made, where is democracy? The controversy, concern Mary Onyali drug bans while competing, which send the wrong message to up and coming athletes while other pundits suggested that she should be forgiven, but noted that Chioma Ajunwa, a senior police officer and a gold medalist (also under drug ban) should have been the chairperson. This writer will, say the country will be safe with anyone without drug pasts and the country has many of them with Olympics medals, including Falilat Ogunkoya, Fatima Yussuf-Olukoju, and others. Such appointment must be rescinded and let members vote on their own leader. Is Mr. Dalung a novice in sports? Absolutely, YES.
Advise to the Sports Minister
Stop intervening in, any agenda that does not concern your office. The NOC can organize their own election on who heads the women committee. Until an election is called for such chairmanship you have just created another very long fight in NOC just as football like your predecessors.
Again, do the right thing, tear out any tissue piece of paper you wrote Angie Taylor, Eric Campbell and Mike Afilaka contracts. Mr. President Buhari promised not only to sack unbecoming Minister, but also to hand them over for prosecution. You have erred and has an opportunity to correct your wrongdoings, but time is running out.
I rest
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Dr. Rashid A. Balogun, CPA, PhD, LLB(Hons.), LLM(London)