Concerns have been raised over the N9 billion earmarked for Nigeria’s participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics, with sports administrators calling for a thorough investigation into how these funds were managed. .
The call came amid growing concerns over financial mismanagement and lack of transparency in spending the budget earmarked for the country’s Olympic preparations.
Last month, Sports Minister Senator John Hainnault announced that NOK 12 billion in funding had been approved by the federal government to host the Olympics.
“Our budget is over 12 billion naira and has been approved by the Federal Government.The budget is divided into two parts with over 9 billion naira allocated for the Olympics and over 3 billion naira for the Paralympics. Masu.
“There are various provisions in the budget regarding athletes and their welfare and I will have the opportunity to visit them before the team leaves for Paris,” he said at the time.
It will also be recalled that the House of Representatives pledged to donate N100 million to the Nigeria team from contributions earned from the salaries of its members.
The N9 billion budget was initially hailed as a major boost for Nigeria’s Olympic athletes, who have previously struggled with lack of funds and inadequate preparations. However, as the team failed to win any medals, an investigation into the funding is being called for.
It will be recalled that the Nigerian team finished the 2024 Paris Olympics without winning a medal, continuing the pattern of ups and downs in the history of the Olympic Games that began in Helsinki in 1952.
Despite high hopes after a strong qualifying performance, the team of 88 athletes competing in 12 sports was unable to repeat their continental success on the world stage.
There were some notable performances, including Favor Ofili’s historic run in the 200m final, Samuel Ogazi’s advance in the 400m final, and three Nigerian athletes making it to the long jump final. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi also finished sixth in the shot put final.
But there were also major disappointments. The Super Falcons withdrew from the football tournament early, boxer Cynthia Ogunsemilore was sent off due to doping allegations and the men’s 4x400m relay team was disqualified.
Athletes who were expected to win medals, such as Tobi Amusan, Blessing Oborududu and Odunayo Adekoloye, fell short of expectations. Although there were some bright spots, such as Ditigres reaching the quarter-finals in women’s basketball, the overall result was a medalless tournament for Nigeria.
In a conversation with former Sports Minister Barr Solomon Dalun, he said there was a lack of synergy between the Sports Ministry, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and various sports federations. He also called for an investigation into how the funds were spent, saying there was a lack of preparation on the part of the ministry and the federation.
“First of all, I have to congratulate the athletes who have worked so hard to represent their country in Paris. I salute them. They went into the Olympics with hopes that were later dashed. It’s a shame that it happened.
“I can say that there is a lack of synergy between the Ministry of Sports, the NOC and the federations. We did see that there were arguments between them before the Games,” he said.
However, although he did not support calls for the sports minister to resign, he did say that sports federations should be held accountable. He also called for a proper investigation to find out how Favor Ofili’s name was removed from the 100m list.
“There are calls for the minister to resign, but I will not do so. However, if you feel it is morally necessary for you to resign, you can do so. Sports federations should be held responsible for this failure. In my time we were able to democratize the federation, but things have changed.
“We need to enact a sports law. The government ordinances in place are outdated and have lost their usefulness. Laws should consider the welfare of athletes.
“It is sad that Ofili was left off the 100m list. There is only one thing I know that could be the reason for that. In Nigerian sport, speaking out is a crime and Ofili is left off the 100m list. I believe they must have spoken out against some things that could have gone wrong. A thorough investigation needs to be done to find out exactly what happened.
“It is unacceptable for the minister to say that if you are a cyclist, you will have to order a bike that may take several weeks. I think you can buy a bike like this in a shop in Paris. They were given N9 billion, but they couldn’t get the bike. That’s a huge amount compared to what I received. .
“I believe the government should call for an investigation into how that money was spent. Paris and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) looked after the accommodation, food and general welfare of the athletes. From what I’ve learned, the athletes are unhappy about the disparity in benefits, and since no one won a medal, where did the rest of the money go?
However, speaking further, he accused the minister of not seeking the help of an experienced person to help him.
“The minister failed because he did not seek help from experienced personnel such as the former head of the defunct National Sports Commission, who had little or no knowledge of sport before taking office. “He went with an uninformed beginner,” he said.
Similarly, the First Vice-President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tafida Ghazama, in a conversation with Daily Trust, said Mr. Enoh has the mandate to lead a ministry that can tackle Nigeria’s unemployment problem and contribute to Nigeria’s GDP. I think I don’t have the ability.
Gazama, a gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics, pointed to Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics as proof of Hinoh’s shortcomings, which Hinault himself admitted after the Olympics.
“The disappointing results at the Paris Olympics confirm the minister’s incompetence, which he himself acknowledged in his post-Olympic statement,” Gazama said.
Gazama went on to say, “What has Henault done since he became Minister of Sports?” He added that following the indictment of several key AFN executives, Hainaut is investigating the AFN Audit Committee’s report and the federation in general. He recalled how he promised to establish an independent investigation committee. .
“More than five months after the appointment, Henault has said nothing, just as he did not register Favor Ofili for the 100m event at the Olympics.”
Gazama has called on the president to move him to another ministry or remove him from his post, while demanding an investigation.
“Maybe he needs to be taken to the Ministry of Agriculture because he’s telling us all that he’s a farmer. All I can say is he’s someone who can take the sports world forward. You don’t get good value for your money by spending that kind of money. It would be the right decision to investigate the funds and have those in charge explain how they were spent. .
Former Chairman of the Gombe State Football Association (FA), Mr. Ahmed Shuaib Gala Gombe, also called for the government to withhold funding to the sports sector and for a forensic investigation into the funding.
“In terms of investigation, I think the President should also look into the 1.6 billion naira released for the African Cup of Nations.My opinion is how that money is spent because it could be inflated. One industry that is notorious for eliminating fraudulent spending is the sports industry, and they’ve been doing it for a long time.
“It is inexplicable that the government releases N9 billion in one month without winning a single medal. We have to prove it. So many things went wrong. At the time, he didn’t listen to anyone’s opinion. There were sycophants around him who didn’t want to tell him the truth about sports in Nigeria, so I gave him a document on how to study the Olympics, but he didn’t listen to anyone. I also gave him an example of how his predecessors planned the Olympics. I gave him a list of 43 people who could help. But he ignored it, but accepted the inexperienced president needs to declare a state of emergency regarding sports.
“We need to go back to basics and prepare an action plan because we are not ready. And one of them is that government funding for sport is phased out. “The sports industry is the most corrupt in Nigeria. We need to go back to grassroots sports and build capacity,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, described Nigeria’s performance at the Paris Games as a disaster and vowed to prevent it from happening again.
“When we return home, we must do everything to prevent the Paris disaster from occurring in the future. If this involves a review of how people who head sports federations are selected, that will be done,” Hainaut said. said.
Senator Hainaut emphasized the importance of the upcoming federation elections, saying: “We are aware that elections to the federations are coming, but it will only get those who can offer something to lead the different sports.” “It will be the perfect platform for this,” he added.
The Minister, in a press statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Diana-Mary Nsan, urged the Minister to strengthen the leadership and effectiveness of the Nigerian Sports Federation and pave the way for improved performance in global events. He called for targeted reforms.
