Following inauguration of boards national sports federations by the Minister of Youth and Sports development on Friday, July 21, 2017 amidst confusions and unresolved controversies that trail June 13 elections, former chairman Gombe State Football Association and renowned sports critics, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, has called on the Presidency to urgently intervene in the escalating crisis threatening to destroy the future of the sports in Nigeria.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday Sports, Gombe expressed disappointment over the confusion and conspiracies that reportedly marred the June 13 federations elections, and subsequent inauguration of the boards on Friday in Abuja, stressing that the Minister has succeeded in destroying the future of Nigerian youths, who only make a living through sports.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari, who has been on a medical vacation to London, where he receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment, to intervene by wild the big stick and restore order to the nation sports sector.
He alleged that the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung has compromised and lacks the capacity to bring this crisis to an end.
The former senior special adviser to former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on sports matter, alleged that the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung has compromised his position and his continuing stay in office will spell dump for the country.
“When people misunderstood my position on issues affecting Nigeria’s sports, they thought I am either looking for attention or position. I have never lobby for position and I’ll not do that.
“When I predicted that the federation elections will be the worst elections in the history of Nigeria’s sports, people called me names. But I am been vindicated.
“Dalung is the worst Minister of Sports we have ever seen in the history of Nigeria, and I said this without apology. If the high ranking of Nigerian sports cannot organised ordinary sports federation elections, then it is unfortunate.
“Now he has inaugurated the boards even when some are aggrieved and they are in court challenging the outcome of the elections. That is the highest level of impunity. Those in public offices should respect the right of citizens because Nigerian constitution, fundamentally gave them that right.
“The crisis in NBBF and other federations has taken taking a dangerous dimension and I call on Presidency to wield the big stick and restore order.
“The crisis in NBBF was mismanaged simply because some people in the Ministry of Youth and Sports are interested in forcing certain people out of the basketball. In traditional sports, the person, who was declared a winner did not even buy form for elections, and you ask how didn’t he came from the back-door to be the president. In athletics, also, the person who was swore as the president did not win elections from his zone. “The Minister is responsible for this mess and it will consume him.
The minister has failed and it is only presidential intervention that will save Nigeria remove this mess.”
LEADERSHIP