The choice by President Bola Tinubu to nominate Mallam Shehu Dikko as chairman of the Nationwide Sports activities Fee (NSC) is producing critical curiosity within the nation’s sports activities circle.
President Tinubu, on Wednesday, scrapped the Sports activities Ministry to pave manner for a rejigged NSC, which had been beforehand dissolved by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015.
The Fee has a wealthy historical past, courting again to the period of Empire Day Video games. It was first established formally in 1971, nonetheless, it was first dissolved in 1995 and re-introduced in 2007. Dikko, arguably among the best soccer directors within the nation, is now saddled with the accountability of overseeing sports activities improvement. Stakeholders, nonetheless, have expressed contrasting views on the Kaduna State-born administrator. For some, Dikko has by no means operated outdoors the soccer circle each regionally and internationally since he got here to limelight, and may discover it tough to show across the fortune of the nation’s sports activities.
Some analysts who spoke on radio monitored by The Guardian in Lagos are of the view that “the issue with Nigeria, sports activities inclusive, is that we contemplate each appointment as an avenue to pursue different agenda. Till this mindset is modified, no system will work. Docs have been operating the well being care system but it’s in shambles. “That workplace is the engine room of the nation’s regulatory establishment and certainly all the sports activities business. Like different supervisory or regulatory businesses similar to Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Roads Upkeep Company (FERMA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Security Company (NIMASA), Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm (NNPC), Federal Inland Income Service (FIRS) and so on, it ought to be occupied by result-oriented professionals. “Our sports activities administration at federal stage has traversed this route earlier than and severally too, it ended up with the appointments of unusual mattress fellows into its management ranges. Nicely, could also be Dikko is coming with a magic wand that can appropriate the problem of timeous execution of plans, that are contingent of funds. Everyone knows that well timed launch of funds for programmes is extraordinarily key to success, however the story many could not know is that funds for sport is allotted from ‘left overs’ after classes A to C Ministries, Departments and Companies (MDAs) have been allotted theirs.” Some, nonetheless, consider that Nigeria sports activities will profit from Dikko’s wealth of expertise and clout from the personal sector, his worldwide sporting contacts and connections can be very pivotal within the new course Nigerian Sports activities can be headed within the coming months. Dikko was former NFF Vice President and later Chairman of the League Administration Firm (LMC). He additionally served as chairman of assorted committees within the NFF, together with advertising and sponsorship. He was a member of the CAF Inter-Golf equipment Committee, and continues to be a member of the FIFA Soccer Stakeholders Committee. President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, thanked President Tinubu for taking such daring, decisive and ahead trying determination to convey again the NSC. “My President, the sporting fraternity in Nigeria and the remainder of the world will ceaselessly keep in mind this daring assertion you will have made with the Nationwide Sports activities Fee for good, and Nigeria sport will certainly flourish in leaps and bounds within the years to return,” Okowa mentioned. Talking additional, Okowa, who’s Vice President of Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), in addition to President of Africa Area II Athletics, mentioned: “President Tinubu means nicely for the youths of this nice nation, and that explains why he introduced again the NSC and appointed a sports activities technocrat so as to add some fillips to sports activities. Youths are the again bone of any economic system and President Tinubu is doing simply that with these strikes.” He hailed Tinubu’s alternative of Dikko as chairman of the NSC: “Shehu Dikko is a spherical peg in a spherical gap and his appointment is befitting. Dikko will convey some contemporary pondering and drive into sports activities improvement in Nigeria. His huge information and expertise will assist put Nigeria sports activities again on monitor,” Okowa acknowledged. Former Nigeria sprinter, jumper and hurdler, Coach Seigha Porbeni, mentioned: “The return of NSC is the return of professionalism to sports activities administration in Nigeria. It reduces quackery in sports activities administration follow, and in addition removes bureaucratic from the system. Sports activities improvement because the title implies, is that the ministry primary goal is for grassroots sports activities improvement. The ministry has no place for technocrats, coaches and athletes. It was like strolling right into a hospital to seek out solely nurses, nurses’ assistants, cleaners and no medical medical doctors or surgeons. Nonetheless, the NSC can solely obtain its desired targets if and solely the appropriate folks (technocrats) certified coaches are employed as head coaches to all of the multi medals sports activities.” Former Inexperienced Eagles winger, Adegoke Adelabu, now a sports activities scientist, mentioned: “The place of the NSC wants a extremely smart sports activities administrator who’s huge in all of the rudiments of sports activities and worldwide recognition. For Shehu Dikko to succeed as NSC chairman, he ought to get clever folks round him.” On his half, former Nigeria 400m hurdler and present Athletes’ Consultant on the board of AFN, Dr Okorie Henry Chinedu, mentioned: “At the very least, we now have somebody who has a hyperlink to sports activities. What Dikko wants now’s to look deep to decide on a Director Normal that’s extremely educated in sports activities and sports activities science and skilled technocrat. “To go different technocrats, the DG must be very skilled. The NSC is for technocrats, and it’s for manufacturing of excessive performing coaches and athletes throughout the nation. Shehu Dikko, despite the fact that he’s a soccer specialist, has a variety of expertise in personal sector sports activities advertising and administration. The steadiness of the NPFL in recent times is clear of his capability. If he can make use of comparable prowess in guaranteeing politicians don’t proceed to hijack Nationwide Sports activities Federations, however folks with possible blueprints, I’m assured he’ll succeed. “Secondly, coming from soccer that has the least authorities interference, Dikko stands a greater probability to restrict the excesses of such interference in different sports activities and let the potentials from varied sports activities disciplines drive the renaissance we crave for,” Okorie acknowledged.
Former Director Normal of Delta State Sports activities Fee, Chief Victor Onogagamue, mentioned: “To know what to do and to do it the appropriate time and in the appropriate place is the start of success. That is the place professionals and technocrats with proper mindset are available in. “I keep in mind the times of Dr Amos Adamu and Dr Patrick Ekeji as sports activities leaders, they sought funds and assist by entrepreneurs, contacts and aggressive sponsorship to maintain sport going earlier than official funds have been launched. I can’t absolutely clarify how they did the magic. “These skilled (Dr. Amos Adamu and Chief Pat Ekeji) offered the sports activities business with inspirational management and mentorship throughout their impactful reign as DG Sports activities (NSC). They have been generals with the bottom troops. They have been very environment friendly and efficient. The helmsmen of a supervisory physique should statutorily command ample information of the sector. “We are going to proceed to advocate that the regulatory company of any essential authorities sector should, subsequently, be staffed with folks with bundles of technical information of business. Sports activities shouldn’t be completely different or an exception. The brand new NSC should return our misplaced glory in sports activities improvement, administration and administration,” Onogagamue mentioned. Nonetheless, former worldwide, Harrison Jalla, mentioned the appointment of Dikko as chairman of the NSC was not in one of the best curiosity of sports activities.
“Barely a yr in workplace, President Tinubu has demonstrated that he’s very pragmatic by way of monetary funding within the sector. Regardless of these efforts, the President could not reach attaining a vibrant sports activities sector as a result of his appointments within the sports activities sector, to this point, have been ill-advised and politically motivated,” Jalla mentioned in an announcement made out there to The Guardian. “The previous Minister of Sports activities, John Enoh, was an enormous mistake, whereas the appointment of Dikko is nothing encouraging. On what foundation was Dikko appointed? Actually not on benefit. Dikko’s monitor document as Chairman of the League Administration Firm (LMC) is within the public area for all to see. Underneath his management, the flagship of Nigerian home soccer, the Nigeria Skilled Soccer League (NPFL), died. In 2022, after 11 years as LMC chairman, Dikko was faraway from workplace, and the NPFL had been diminished to floor zero. The federal authorities needed to step in to rescue the NPFL. “President Tinubu, being a listening chief, will quickly obtain a proper and official presentation from stakeholders outlining why this appointment is an aberration and can’t stand. It’s now crystal clear that Nigeria’s retired sportsmen and girls don’t have any future in sports activities administration,” Jalla acknowledged.
