Stakeholders seek overhaul of Nigerian sports

The Federal Government recently released Naira 2 billion (US$ 15.8 million) for the national contingent for the Algiers games, which will run from July 11 to 23.

However, for doyen of professional football in Nigeria, Chief Nath Idowu, government has no business getting involved in sports administration and management.

"Sports belong to the people, government cannot control what they don't own. Attempt by government to control sports has failed and will continue to fail," he said.

Idowu, an industrialist, recalled that his attempt to run professional football in Nigeria was frustrated by civil servants.

"Even when Bayo Lawal became minister of sports and gave a go for us to start, the moment I left the ministry, civil servants prevailed on the new man to go back to the old order," Idowu said.

He urged Yar'Adua to fashion out a programme that will make the management, administration and financing of sports independent of government before the end of his tenure.

Idowu says Algiers 2007 will be a jamboree. "They will just go and return empty handed and the officials will plead that there will be adequate preparation next time, but they will not do anything," he said.

Idowu decried the attitude of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which he said only shows interest in sports whenever government or corporate bodies release funds.

"Nobody is interested in grassroots development, all they care about is how the money from the government and corporate bodies will be shared. 

Remove sport from government control
For former Chairman of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Ibrahim Galadima, the problem with sports in Nigeria is the NSC as it is presently constituted. He wants the government to totally overhaul the commission and remove sports from government control.

Galadima decried the situation where anybody with a view contrary to that of NSC officials is branded an enemy of the government.

He also condemned the current crisis in the NFA and incessant fights by board members over money on one hand and the Nigeria Football League on the other hand, saying that they are not good for Nigeria.

Before the beginning of the just concluded league season, the media were awash with face off between the sports bodies over who should be in control of the Naira 600 million (US$4.74 million) sponsorship fund Globacom gave to the NFA.

And just like last week, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and NSC exchanged hot words over who should control the $2 million in sponsorship money Globacom gave to AFN.

While, AFN president Mrs Violet Odogwu-Nwajei believes the federation, which sourced for the sponsorship should control the fund, the NSC wants Elias Gora, a director in the commission to be in charge of the fund.

The controversy is yet to abate.

For Anthony Kodjo Williams, sports in Nigeria are dead and only a major overhaul will save the industry.

Williams who predicted doom for Super Eagles at the next Africa Nations Cup in Ghana next January said President Yar'Adua's government must overhaul the personnel. We need to bring in people that will not be doing it for material gains, but those with genuine passion for the sports.