The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare
By Gabriel Kekong
A group of sports enthusiasts; the Nigerian Sports Advancement Group (NSAG) has urged the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, to release the guidelines for the upcoming federations’ election or risk court order.
The President of the group, Charles Offiong Esq stated that since the ministry has announced the date for the federations’ election they should have also made public the guidelines for the elections so that those who wish to contest may have the full knowledge of it.
Recalled that last week Wednesday, the Director of Press and Public Relations, of the ministry, Mohammed Manga in a press statement said, “The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in keeping with its commitment of holding the National Sports Federations election in September 2021 is affirming that election into the National Sports Federations will hold on September 30, 2021.
The statement further reads, “The six (6) National Sports Federations that have their Constitutions ratified by their International sports bodies and the Nigeria Olympic Committee will conduct their elections based on their respective Constitutions.
But, Offiong believes that election that will hold in less than a month, stakeholders should have been privy to the guidelines. However, he said, not making the guidelines public is a plot by the ministry to rig the election in favour of selected individuals
“I think people in government are taking us “other Nigerians” for granted, otherwise, how a ministry would announce a date for federations’ elections and did not make the guidelines public to stakeholders.
“Elections that is less than a month, yet no guidelines, how would stakeholders know if they would be qualified to contest the elections, or the ministry wants a situation whereby, when others pick nomination forms they will disqualify them and allow their cronies to scale through?
“What is it that is holding the ministry led by Sunday Dare from releasing the guidelines, since the ministry, is the sole organizer of the elections?
“Well, we may have no option than to approach the court to compel them to do so or stop the elections in its entirety since the ministry has failed in its responsibility,” Offiong said.
Meanwhile, the sports federations that are expected to hold their elections on September 30, 2021, include: Nigeria Aquatics Federation, Nigeria Basketball Federation, Nigeria Boxing Federation, Cycling Federation of Nigeria, Nigeria Shooting Federation as well as Nigeria Table Tennis Federation
Other federations that are yet to ratify their Constitutions are expected to also conduct their elections on September 30, 2021, with the guidelines provided by the Ministry.
Though, the guidelines are yet to be made public.
