By Correspondent in Minna.
Members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria,(SWAN) have decried the poor sporting activities in the state with a call on Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello-led government to change the development for good.
One of the several of dilapidated sporting facilities(Squash court) in Minna begging for rehabilitation.
SWAN members who made the call in their Communique signed by, Alhassan Kutigi and Abdulrazaq B. Oguntuashe, Chairman and Secretary of Communique drafting committee in Minna,appealed to the Governor not to leave the sports sector worst than he met it.
According to them, the low score records of the present administration in sports came at a time when most states had stepped up action to promote sports and create jobs for idle youths, adding that the future of sports in the state remained very bleak with the attitude of the present government except something is done and urgently too to revamp the sector.
“States willing to secure the future of young men and women have taken up sports as a vocation by investing in sports equipment to encourage the future leaders, but this is not the case in Niger state, it is pitiable that available facilities are in state of disuse and others now ‘abandoned projects’ SWAN members lamented.
They further adivesed Governor Bello to focus more on sports as only unifying instrument to keep idle youths out of crime and criminalities.
SWAN expressed reservations over abysmal performance of Niger in the last National Sports Festival (NSF), ‘Edo 2020’ and as well, as the current unimpressive outings by, Niger Tornadoes football club and attributed the woes to inadequate attention on sports sector.
“It is sad that Niger Tornadoes cannot use the Bako Kontagora memorial stadium for training because it is in state of disrepair, no single functional Squash Court to train players as the one along David Mark road has been taken over by reptiles after it was destroyed by rainstorm about two years now,” they added..
On the multi-million Naira Bahago round-about sports village under construction, SWAN regretted that, “the state government initiating the sports complex is commendable but the facility, after huge sums of money, has been abandoned, no contractor on site,” the Communique said.
While also calling on sports philanthropists and cooperate organisations to come to the rescue of sports in Niger state, SWAN noted with dismay that there was nothing to show commitment on the part of state government to encourage existing and hidden sports talents waiting to be tapped.
The association, while calling for action in fixing all facilities across the state, the ones within Minna metropolis in particular in order to uplift the standards of sports in the state also frowned at the attitude of the present administration to the total decay of sports facilities.
“As part of measures to restore the glory of sports in Niger state, the Congress called for the total overhauling of the state Ministry of Youth and Sports Development that will involve carrying SWAN members along in all its activities for better results.
While encouraging members, intending qualified persons to commence membership registration to guarantee early production of 2022 Identification Cards, the Congress wants SWAN in Niger state to unite for the overall development of sports in the state”, the meeting said.
