Shehu Dikko’s NSC, now working against Nigeria’s Sports Development?- Mike Ndidi
There are now growing fears that the National Sports Commission (NSC) may miss out on achieving the objectives set out by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by establishing the commission, this is going by the manner the sports body is now running the affairs of Nigeria’s apex sport governing body.
President Tinubu had late last year scrapped the Ministry of Sports Development and established the NSC in accordance with the NSC Act passed by the National Assembly.
The move was aimed at re-energising sports administration in Nigeria and get more out of the abundant potentials sports talented Nigerians .
But there now appears to be a move in the opposite direction, with fears growing over the manner with which the managers of the commission are meddling in the running of some of the national teams and competitions.
Already being threatened is Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with NSC top officials trying to run the show for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The NSC has more than 36 sports federations to oversee, with NFF being just one of them, but the commission’s leadership in now hell-bent on dictating to the NFF, what it should do at each turn.
“Everybody can see how they took over all matters regarding the Super Falcons’ reception, leaving out the NFF management which has taken the team that far.
“Some of those, who were with the team in Morocco and some of the NFF board members were shut out of the Aso Rock reception in order to accommodate NSC officials.
“They simply want to be seen around football all the time, taking over all the actions and spending on behalf of NFF, from all the money coming from the Federal Government.
“But the more intriguing aspect was the directive to the NFF to immediately pay the players 30 percent of the money coming to Nigeria from CAF for the WAFCON participation. This was even before the competition ended.
“Those handing out such a directive did so out of mischief, because they are well aware that such money will take some time in coming and NFF cannot even hold on to the players’ share when it comes.
“Everything is pointing to an attempt to see the Super Eagles failing to grab the World Cup ticket and the blame being heaped on the NFF,in order to have the Federation,” a Nigerian sports stakeholder who asked for anonymity declared.
Another concerned sports stakeholder, worried about the growing state of affairs, note that there is now a growing discontent within the Sports Commission community with the number of workers recently brought in as contract staff with bogus salaries and big titles.
“Let us say it is now just a case of ‘providing jobs for the boys’.Many of these ones do not have specific roles other than to follow the Commission Chairman and Director-General round the world.
“This is at a big cost to the country’s finances,as well as the job, because nothing gets done this way.
“The Commission already has competent staff who have gained the necessary experience over the years in doing their jobs, and those coming in to upstage them are even expired and out-of-touch with realities with some of them even having records of indictment from previous places of work.
“That is why they are now thinking of Nigeria hosting Formula One. One can imagine the wayward thinking in this, when we have little or no Nigerian involvement in the sport,”he pointed out angrily.
Already ,the discontent with what is now prevailing was seen in recent calls in several quarters for the constitution and inauguration of the board of the Commission by President Tinubu.
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN)had few days ago lent it’s voice to these calls, warning that the NSC as it is presently is being run in disregard of the laws establishing it.
It had called on President Tinubu to immediately do the needful in order not to see the hopes that we’re renewed by sports in recent months being dimmed and completely diminished by the actions of a few individuals.
