Sports entrepreneur and chairman of Gombe Athletics
Association, Hon. Gara Gombe, has advised government not to drop a dime for the
National Sports Commission (NSC) as they are capable of raising funds to drive
sports Nigeria.
He said in a statement released on Saturday to newsmen
via his social media handle, insisting that those that claimed to have the
capacity to woo sponsors should not be given a whooping sum of N78 billion to
drive e-sports project.
His statement reads thus; “Presently, I have read
reports disappointedly, in some media, especially social media and some print
media, even in some television stations celebrating N78 billion feyderal
Government appropriated for the National Sports Commission.
“Unfortunately, the same people mandated to manage our
sports are not ready to change their old past ways. I remember, the same way
they are celebrating the N78 billion was the same way they jubilated when
SuperSports signed a contract with League Management Company (LMC) for a
sponsorship totalling about N3 billion.
“At the end of the day, the money was mismanaged and
squandered., finally, SuperSports pulled out.
“They are now celebrating N78 billion we have not
seen. I am sure, when the funds are finally released, they will feast on it.
I want to inform Nigerians and the world in general, tax payers including the
National Assembly and the Federal Government not to release the money, though,
budget is a document of intent, but whatever it is, government should not
release the money to the National Sports Commission (NSC).
“They are not ready, that place needs to be sanitised
first before such money should be released. I want them to prove me wrong.
“Do we need to put N78 billion in Nigeria sports, for
what?
“This same people talking about e-sports economy are
already parading their curriculum vitaes that they have the capacity and
ability to raise funds for the growth of Sports in Nigeria.
“Sports Economy and Renewed Hope Agenda slogan they
are shouting about is just deception; nothing is going to happen.
“They don’t have the credibility to be entrusted with
public money in their care.
Remember, one of them — NSC DG Bukola Olokpade —is under investigation at the
moment, the other one NSC chairman, Shehu Dikko, was investigated by ICPC and
his property seized. The money given to him in the past to manage LMC was
mismanaged and he was sacked. The former Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, who
sacked him is in the Villa.
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“When are we going to learn lessons? We must not give
them money now until they are ready to change their ways. Nowhere in the world
government spends such money, the NSC hierarchy should use their contacts,
after all, they told us they have contacts, they should use it to raise money
for sports economy. Sports economy is not run through public funds.
“This was the same deceit that took them to the
Nigerian Stock Exchange where they Rang Bell (Gong), making people believe they
are serious about raising money for Nigeria football, and at the end of the
day, it became a charade as nothing came out of it, even the sponsors they met
in the office left.
“We have to be careful, the campaign to sustain
transparency, openness and accountability in sports must not abate, it should
continue if government is serious about fighting corruption in Nigeria.
“Effort should be made to re-establish Team Nigeria
concept, appoint trustees and give them such money to manage, strictly for
raising funds and managing same.
“In a transitional manner, government should withdraw
from giving funds to sports. It’s sad that former Minister Sunday Dare claimed
to have sourced and spent $1 million from Aliko Dangote in renovating the Abuja
Stadium.
“Unfortunately, today, from Badagry to Maiduguri,
Nigeria don’t have a standard stadium that can host CAF and FIFA football
games. And the man who allegedly used the money is hiding in Aso Rock as an
aide to the president.
“Do we also have to recall given someone N24 billion
for Olympics and AFCON and the fellow mismanaged the money, we didn’t ask him
to account for the money but simply deployed him to the Ministry of Trade and
Investment to hide. Who do us this?
“Sports sponsorship is a corporate world business, government only provides the
enabling infrastructure. No government in this world pours N78 billion into
sports to be managed by those that called themselves experts in sports
marketing and promotion. No sponsor will see people with N78 billion to spend
and agrees to come close.
“The NSC chairman, Shehu Dikko’s property was seized
by ICPC, he was removed as LMC chairman, and I don’t want to know how he got
back to the system. But for now, he is not ready to change his ways and we have
seen it.
“The NSC director general is also under investigation
for allegedly collecting money from federations.
“I want to use this opportunity to inform all
federations and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to start preparing their
books to give account of funds received from sponsors such IOC, ANOCA and
international federations affiliated to them.
“Sadly, I read a report where the NOC president,
Engineer Habu Gumel, presented his 2024 annual report without statement of
accounts of funds spent or received.
“I will ask questions, let all of them get ready for
me. It’s interesting to note that federation scribes were swapped to new
positions, However, It doesn’t call for any celebration because it’s an old
practice that changed nothing in the manner sports federations are managed in
Nigeria. This is my message for the New year,” Gara Gombe said.
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