As reactions continue to trail the appointment of Malam Shehu Dikko as the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), a former Chairman of Gombe State Sports Commission, Malam Farouk Yarma, and renowned football administrator, Jude Anyadufu, are confident that the astute football administrator is going to turn around the fortunes of sports in Nigeria.
In a major cabinet reshuffle yesterday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, replaced the former Ministry of Sports Development with the NSC which was scrapped in 2016 by the then Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, against popular opinion.
Therefore, the return to the NSC has elicited wide commendation from Nigerian sports sector holders with many saying the appointment of the former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) vice-president as Chairman is the icing on the cake.
Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, Yarma said the appointment of Dikko by the President to lead the sports sector in Nigeria is a step in the right direction which will yield immediate results.
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He said that considering the new chairman’s rich background as a marketing expert, the unending desire for sports to be managed profitably would be realised this time.
“The appointment of Malam Shehu Dikko is one of the best things that have happened in the life of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. He has put a square peg in a square hole and the sports sector would witness accelerated growth in all ramifications.
“When he served as Chairman of the League Management Company, Dikko brought his business acumen to bear on the domestic league. He introduced innovations that boosted the finances of the league making it one of the best in the world.
“So, I have no iota of doubt that with Dikko as the Chairman of the NSC, sports would no longer be treated as another form of recreation but as serious business,” said Yarma.
Similarly, Anyadufu said the appointment of Dikko as Chairman of NSC is a testament to his commitment and dedication to sports development, especially the game of football.
“The general acceptance of his appointment is not surprising because he is a diatriblised Nigerian with the capacity to take the sports sector to the next level.
“He demonstrated a deep knowledge of the problems bedeviling sports in Nigeria when he served as Chairman of the LMC. In no time, he was able to use his marketing skills to woo local and international business organisations to put money into the league through sponsorship deals.
“I am confident Dikko will make the difference if given the necessary support by all the stakeholders in the sector,” he said.
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