A former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Hon. Godfrey Ali Gaiya has said the future of sports in Nigeria is quite bleak because he has not seen any competent minister of sports among the 43 nominees being screened by the Senate.
The Senate yesterday began the screening of the ministerial nominees submitted on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Although some Nigerians are of the opinion that any one of the nominees can serve as minister of sports, the former legislator disagreed vehemently as he insisted that sports should be handled by someone who is knowledgeable in the sector.
Gaiya observed regrettably that in his many years in Nigerian sports, he didn’t come across any of the nominees and if anyone of them is assigned to the sector, it will be another effort in futility.
“I am afraid there is no sports minister there. I have not seen any sports minister in that list. Did you see any? I have gone through the 43 names and honestly, I don’t see any sports minister there.
“Some of us felt that by now we should have been able to get a person who is qualified, ripe and knowledgeable in the sector to lead sports, so that the sector too can begin to advance.
“Unfortunately from the list, I am not so sure I have met any of the names after my so many years in sports,” he noted.
Hon. Gaiya, a two term member of the House of Representatives, 2007 to 2015 went on to explain the consequences of appointing a non-professional as he said such a person would be compelled to learn on the job.
He maintained that anyone who will come in and lead by the nose would only succeed in taking Nigerian sports several steps backward.
“If you bring in one who has not paid his dues in sports, he will come in as a fresher and begin to learn on the job.
“He will have to stay for some time to begin to perform. And four years is not a wonderful period for one to learn on the job.
“We thought by now we should have a name that once mentioned, it would evoke confidence in the minds of people.
“Even the practitioners in the sector would feel that we have one of our own as minister and he won’t fail us. Unfortunately, this is not going to happen and sports will be the worse for it,” he submitted.
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