When a professional is at helm of affairs in any field it must show in the way he handles things. This is how to describe the activities of Director General National Sports Commission Al Hassan Yakmut. As early as 7:30 Wednesday morning the DG Mallam Yakmut was already at that National Stadium in Lagos to watch the Milo Top 50 Basketball Camp in session at National Institute of Sports. He commended the organizers and appreciated the quality of the program by the NBA coaches.
Director General of the NSC, Alhassan Yakmut
“It is a very good program targeted at the growth and development of basketball in the country. The players here are the ones expected to make it to the National teams”. The DG Yakmut advised the players to ensure they give their correct ages.
“You should not lie about your age. Make sure you apply those life values you were taught in camp – discipline, honesty, responsibility and team work”. The National Sports Commission said it is prepared to make its facilities available for such sports programs.
Mallam Yakmut later went to the Indoor Sports Hall to watch the female volleyball team preparing for the All Africa Games.
I formally congratulate General Muhammed Buhari GMB, for his Gallant victory at the last Presidential polls, well commended and I look forward to your reign as the Nigerian President.
Having said that, GMB seems uninterested in sports and it is a worrisome factor because sports is the only unifying factor in our already tribalistic and egoistic nation.
As said and believed by many that, the President Elect General Muhammed Buhari, GMB, is the custodian of the change required in Nigeria as he is getting ready to resume office from May 29th this year I need to ask him why does he seem so uninterested in Sports unlike the past Democratic Head of States, hence my question GMB whats up with Sports?
What baffles me is, all through his campaigns and even manifestos, there was no single Sports acknowledgment and looking at the Goodwill that any kind of sports brings to the nation, it must not be neglected. Personally, as a sports development aficionado in Nigeria, I totally disagree with the General for the neglect, he spoke about everything required of him during the campaigns but astutely ignored the place and future of Nigerian sports in his government, there was no single sports stakeholder in his campaign team either. The question is, why?
Muhammed Buhari
A successful sporting nation can also be regarded as a successful nation in the map of the world and it is a call to doom when a huge nation as populous as ours is not serious about the deteriorating and corrupt sports sector in Nigeria, just because of the death of our National Institute of Sports, the Nigeria Football Federation had to sponsor coaches to a capacity training in faraway England, the new Government should sit up and do a complete overhaul of the Sport Sector.
Even as expected by many of us when many people said GMB was unfit, naturally but optional he should have climbed the treadmill or engage in an endurance trek to show his ability and fitness level, even the opposition party held a Jogging Campaign Exercise with the same Super Falcons who were neglected after bringing Honour to the Country.
However, the outgoing administration was involved but overbearing in the running of sports which gave a larger room to corruption to the extent that, they were involved in the firing and rehiring saga of the Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, it was that bad, I am not asking for such meddling but give Sports the needed relevance and the enabling environment.
I expect GMB to appoint technocrats with sound experience in handling our sports and not just some political appointees, unfortunately, the people at the helms of sports affairs have no business there, they are not a Technocrats neither does anyone of them has experienced in Sports administration, with little or no single training in Sports Administration. We need those who has the nation interest at heart, and not selfish people, those who are not only hungry for estacode and money to use in buying luxurious cars and houses to show off at the mercy of a dwindling Sports Sector.
Super Falcons
I also want to believe that only those close to GMB could testify whether he is or was a sportsman or even interested in the games. If he is, he has never in any of speech acknowledge that even when the issue of his health became a matter of serious concern during the campaign, he only jogged in the field unimpressingly.
As I conclude, in any case the outgoing President did not host the Super Falcons for their victory in Namibia at the African Women’s Championship last year, Please GMB do host the girls, they have laboured hard for the nation and at the moment the most successful football team in the history of Nigerian football.
Finally, I am afraid that sports may not get the necessary attention from GMB during his administration and also concerned if the Athletes who has done us well by bringing glory to the nation will no longer be hosted for a welldone jobs. I pleaded for an increment in the budget and timely release of funds for the Sports Ministry, and, also a timely intervention in sanitizing the already corrupt Sports Sector.
newfanzone 