Sports entrepreneur and former Gombe United FC
Chairman, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has said only administrators with
skeletons in sports can afford to bar stakeholders from expressing their views
on sports development in Nigeria.
In a chat with journalists recently,
Gara-Gombe noted that on several occasions, he had been barred from expressing
his views over major development and appointment in Nigeria sports in radio and
television stations in Nigeria.
“All sports stakeholders and those who appreciate my
modest contributions in Nigeria sports, especially trying to always put sports
administrators and managers on their toes.
“I advise them not to worry as many people have been calling me, sending
messages to my friends and close associates asking why I have been quiet about
the reintroduction of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the managers.”
The Chairman Gombe State Athletics Association also
reacted to rumours that he had pulled out of sports business and
administration.
“There’s nothing to worry about as my silence is
deliberate, I’m still in sports, people are saying I have quite sports,
I’m not out of sports for now.
“Because there’s no way I can afford to sleep because
certain people who I have differences with about how they managed our sports in
the past are now in charge of sports in the country.
“The Nigeria Constitution has given me and all of us
the right to participate in lawful activities in the country, in this case,
including sports. So, my silence is deliberate, I will talk at the right time.”
On his travails with a few television and radio
stations in Nigeria, he said: “I would like to say clearly that in the last few
weeks, I was barred from featuring on four national television
and Radio stations, even a few newspapers to express my opinion and
discuss the newly introduced National Sports Commission (NSC) by the Federal
Government.
The disturbing part is that those who blocked me using proxies have no idea of
what I want to talk about, I don’t know what they are afraid of or why they
don’t want me to express my own right and opinion as guaranteed by law.
“I don’t see why they should be afraid,
If they feel comfortable with their past or who they are, why must they
go about blocking me?
“There was this station, one hour to a scheduled
interview, they called me to say my air time (interview) had been paid
for. However, I know about television production, one can’t come two hours to
production to tell me my air time has been paid for.
“It doesn’t show integrity of the media; however, I
don’t own a TV or a radio station, but I own a newspaper and
I would continue to raise my voice on issues I feel are in the best interest of
the Nigerian public.
“The intriguing side of it is that they don’t have an
idea of what I want to say whether or not it’s in their favour.
“So because people that have skeletons never wanted a biology teacher to handle
a topic on anatomy.”
He assured all sports stakeholders and those who
still have confidence and belief in his contribution in sports in Nigeria
to remain calm.
“I’m very much around, concerned and will pursue swift and talk about
credible sports development in Nigeria without fear or favour.
“Currently, I am outside the country, I can also talk
from anywhere around the globe, for now, I am.busy to start commenting on
issues Nigerians are already aware of, but at the appropriate time, no
individual or group can cover the sun or the moon with two hands
“My detractors forgot that the social media is also
available to me to air my views. At the end of the day, the national interest
shall prevail.
“Nigeria is bigger and greater than any individual or
cabal that wants to hold down Nigerian sports. Profiteering from it in the last
20 to 25 years must stop,” he concluded.
On the panel set up by the former Minister of Sports,
John Enoh, Gara- Gombe said as far as he was concerned, the seven-man committee
didn’t do a good job.
“They left many issues untouched. They didn’t talk
about finances and also they refused to investigate the AFN on why certain
things happened.
“I see no reason the panel didn’t indict the
Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) they also refused to indict the former
Minister, and Ministry officials in areas concerning how the over N24 billion
Olympic funds was managed.”
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