Gombe warns NSC will waste N78b appropriation, urges govt not to fund it
Uzor Odigbo
Sports entrepreneur and Chairman Gombe Athletics Association, Hon. Gara Gombe has advised government not to drop a dime for the National Sports Commission as they are capable of raising funds to drive sports Nigeria.
He said in a statement released on Saturday to news men via his social media handle, insisting that those that claimed to have the capacity to woo sponsors should not be given a whooping sum of N78 billion to drive e-sports project.
His Statement reads: “Presently, I have read reports disappointedly, in some media, especially Social media and some print media, even in some television stations scrolled messages celebrating N78 billion federal government appropriated for the National Sports Commission. Unfortunately, the same people mandated to manage our sports are not ready to change their old past ways.
“I remember, the same way they are celebrating the N78 billion was the same way they jubilated when Super Sports signed a contract with League Management Company (LMC) for a sponsorship totalling about N3 billion. At the end of the day, the money was mismanaged and squandered., finally, Super Sports pulled out.
“They are now celebrating N78 billion we have not seen. I am sure, when the funds are finally released, they will feast on it.
“I want to inform Nigerians and the world in general, tax payers including the National Assembly and federal government not to release the money, though, budget is a document of intent, but whatever it is, Government should not release the money to the National Sports Commission (NSC). They are not ready, that place need to be sanitised first before such money should be released. I want them to prove me wrong.
“Do we need to put N78 billion in Nigeria Sports, for what? This same people talking about e-sports economy are already parading their Curriculum vitaes (CV) that they have the capacity and ability to raise funds for the growth of Sports in Nigeria.
Sports Economy and Renewed Hope Agenda slogan they are shouting about is just deception, nothing is going to happen.
“They don’t have the credibility to be entrusted with public money in their care. Remember, one of them NSC DG Bukola Olokpade is under investigation at the moment, the other one NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko was investigated by ICPC and his property seized.
“The money given to him in the past to manage LMC was mismanaged and was sacked.
The former sports minister Sunday Dare who sacked him is in the Villa.
“When are we going to learn lessons? We must not give them money now until they are ready to change their ways. Nowhere in the world government spends such money, the NSC hierarchy should use their contacts, after all, they told us they have contacts, they should use it to raise money for sports economy.
“Sports economy is not run through public funds.
This was the same deceit that took them to the Nigerian Stock Exchange where they Rang Bell (Gong) making people believe they are serious about raising money for Nigeria football, at the end of the day, it became a charade as nothing came out of it, even the sponsors they met in the office left.
“We have to be careful, the campaign to sustain transparency, openness and accountability in sports must not abate, it should continue if government is serious about fighting corruption in Nigeria.
“Effort should be made to re-establish Team Nigeria concept, appoint trustees and give them such money to manage, strictly for raising funds and managing same.
“In a transitional manner government should withdraw from giving funds to sports.
Its sad that former Minister Sunday Dare claimed to have sourced and spent One Million Dollars from Aliko Dangote in renovating the Abuja Stadium.
Unfortunately, today, from Badagry to Maiduguri, Nigeria don’t have a standard Stadium that can host CAF and FIFA football games. And the man who allegedly used the money is hiding in Aso Rock as an aide to the President.
“Do we also have to recall given someone N24 billion for Olympics and AFON and the fellow mismanaged the money, we didn’t ask him to account for the money but simply deployed him to the Ministry of Trade and Investment to hide. Who do us this?
“Sports sponsorship is a corporate world business, government only provides the enabling infrastructure. No government in this world pours N78 billion into sports to be managed by those that called themselves experts in sports marketing and promotion. No sponsor will see people with N78 billion to spend and agrees to come close.
The NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko’s Property was seized by ICPC, he was removed as LMC chairman, and I don’t want to know how he got back to the system. But for now, he is not ready to change his ways and we have seen it.
“The NSC director general is also under investigation for allegedly collecting money from Federations. I want to use this opportunity to inform all Federations and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to start preparing their books to give account of funds received from Sponsors such IOC, ANOCA and international Federations affiliated to them.
“Sadly, I read a report where the NOC President Engineer Habu Gumel presented his 2024 annual report without statement of accounts of funds spent or received.
“I will ask questions, let all of them get ready for me.
Its interesting to note that Federation scribes were swapped to new positions, However, It doesn’t call for any celebration because, it’s an old practice that changed nothing in the manner Sports Federations are managed in Nigeria.
“This is my message for the New year” Gara Gombe.”