By Peace Ekpang
Ahead of he upcoming election of the Nigeria Olympics Committee, a group under the aegis of United Sports Stakeholders has called on the incumbent President, Habu Gumel, to drop his plan of seeking re-election into the office, after serving as NOC president for the fifth terms.
The group, in a statement issued last weekend and signed by its spokesman, Comrade Sylvanus Ofekun, urged the former Volleyball Federation president to allow young, vibrant and dynamic individuals to succeed him.
Describing Gumel’s ambition as despicable, the group added that the complacency and reprehensible laxity alongside his lack of transparency are attributes that the NOC President has displayed for the past 16 years.
“Following several media channels report that the incumbent President of the NOC, Habu Ahmed Gumel, is seeking re-election into the same office for the fifth time. This is to say the least, despicable.
“His complacency and reprehensible laxity laced with his lack of transparency are some of the attributes he has displayed since his first election as President of the NOC, which have grounded sports in Nigeria.
“For instance, in the last 16 years of presiding over the NOC, no visible improvement has been recorded nor a clear-cut direction offered to the NOC,” the statement read.
It alleged that Nigeria has lost its congress membership at the International Olympic Committee IOC, because of Engr.Gumel’s age.The group also raises alarm over the corruption allegation against him at the continental level.
“Under the leadership of Gumel, Nigeria lost her Congress Membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He attained membership of the IOC in 2009 and became ineligible to continue after attaining the mandatory 70 years of age on April 1st, 2019.
“According to Rule 16.3.3.1 of the Olympics Charter, an IOC Member ceases to be a Member at the end of the calendar year during which he reaches the age of 70.
“At the continental level, Engineer Gumel alongside the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Mustapha Berraf are facing corruption allegations which both of them are yet to deny,” the statement read.
Advising the NOC President to allow a breathe of fresh air, the group noted that: “since he is no longer relevant at the international level, couple with the fact that NOC has failed in its responsibilities under Gumel’s presidency, we therefore appeal that he rests his ambition for younger, vibrant, dynamic and result oriented individuals to via for the office of the President of NOC and bring breathe of “fresh air” into that office.”
