By Goodluck Ikiebe.
The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, has inaugurated the 29th National Sports Federations Board, following the successful completion of elections into the Boards at the expiration of the tenure of the previous executives, who served between 2017 – 2021, in line with the 2021 National Sports Federations Guidelines.
While inaugurating the 28 officials of the various Sports Federations in his office at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, Dare stated that the newly elected officials are to serve for the period of four year Olympic circle.
He, therefore, charged them to “be absolutely guided by established processes, procedures and the Code of Governance of National Sports Federations in discharging their responsibilities’’
Mr Dare assured them that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to improving sports generally; and will not relent in its avowed determination to open up the Sports’ industry to public – private partnerships, which is in line with the reclassification of Sports as Business by the Federal Executive Council.
He stated further that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development retains its core responsibilities of facilitating youth and sports development through the establishment of a conducive policy environment that provides strategic support systems and sports policy implementation among other functions.
‘’In doing this, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development is giving you the marching order to, within six months after this inauguration, begin the process of formulating your constitution in line with the dictates of your various international federations and with the inputs and guidance of the FMYSD to ensure the constitutions are domesticated to operate in tandem with Nigerian laws and our sports industry policy’’, he noted.
Mr Dare stated that the National elections for the offices of Presidents and Vice Presidents, which took place in Abuja, on Wednesday, 30th September, 2021 and the Zonal elections was generally commended by stakeholders and appraised, to be most credible, peaceful, transparent, free and fair exercise in the history of the federations.
While congratulating the newly elected leadership of the various federations, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee and his team for an excellent job, the Minister said that that the task of deepening the development of Sports in Nigeria directly lies on the shoulders of the newly inaugurated officials and that team work is paramount to achieving the Board’s goals and objectives.
Earlier In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Isma’il Abubakar, enjoined the reconstituted Board to seek for a good working relationship with the Ministry in the interest of sports development in Nigeria.
He assured them that the Ministry will continue to provide an enabling environment for the full implementation of the various youth and sports development policies, programmes and projects in line with the policy thrust of the present administration.
Responding on behalf of the newly elected Board members, the President of Wrestling Federation, Hon. Daniel Igali, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari administration for its support on sports development in the country.
He commended the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, for the successful conduct of the elections and therefore appealed to the Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare, to intensify efforts to enable the National Sports Federations attain international recognition and standard.
In another development, the Ministry says it is properly Guided and will not be blackmailed over NBBF.
A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr Mohammed Manga, says the attention of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has been drawn to sponsored and orchestrated attempts in the Media to blackmail the Minister and the Ministry over the issue of the upcoming NBBF Extraordinary Congress.
It says the allegations against the Ministry of sponsoring thugs to disrupt NBBF Congress on Saturday is cheap blackmail and most disingenuous.
“Ordinarily, the Ministry would have paid them no Attention, however, it is important to confront these peddlers of lies and rumors, who rather than work out a compromise seek the jungle” it noted.
The statement says that the Ministry is not surprised about the unrelenting attempts by some groups to draw the Ministry into the NBBF matter because the Ministry has refused to use their playbook.
“The Ministry is properly guided and wlll not be deterred. The power to effect any changes lies with the Congresses of National Sports Federations. The position of the Ministry has been unvarnished”.
“As a critical Stakeholder in ensuring all Federations are run properly according to the Constitution and Code of Governance, the Ministry has had two meetings with different factions of the Basketball family. The stakeholders meeting was the last of such chaired by the Minister in Abuja”.
The statement concludes, “the Ministry is watching very closely developments around NBBF and will act decisively if the need ever arises.
