By Saidu Abubakar
Following another woeful performance and outing of Nigerian contingents to the just concluded Paris Olympic 2024, the Nigerian Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu Ejidike, JP, has called for total restructuring and overhaul of sports sectors from policies, administration, programs, secretariat budgets and appointments in all ramifications .
Chief Ejidike in another reaction to the state of sports in Nigeria, in a statement made available by the Chairman, Office of the Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Prince Olayioye Ajide Shola, said it is disheartening that a nation that is gifted with avalanche of talents has nothing to show at the global meet.
The sports philanthropist lamented the recalcitrant tendencies of some sports administrator who shy away from implementing the desired sports policies; rather, they uphold a system where corruption, nepotism and impunity thrives.
“Most sports administrators are not qualified to occupy the exalted positions as they are subdued by mental laziness and ineptitude which mar the performance and outcome of sports outings. In other words, they are subjected to the whims and caprices of political office holders.
“Let me add that the present sports policies cannot take us anywhere which is the reason for our failure in continental and global sports meets. We failed to separate amateur sports or grassroots from professional sports. The amateur and grassroots should be the responsibility of the government while the professional should be handled and sponsored by the private sector and individuals. If millions spent on professional football clubs by the state governments are expended on promoting and developing grassroots facilities, it would have been a veritable platform for professionals to tap talents,” sounded Ejidike.
According to him, sports have been politicized which produced sports administrators and this influenced appointment of coaches and officials: “If we have the right policies, it will not only give hope to the sports men and women, it will boost their sense of patriotism. Imagine our sports men and women dying in penury and sickness, how will that encourage budding talents to dorn in our national colours. Of course, that was part of the factor responsible for Nigerians competing and winning laurels for other countries.”
“It would have been easy for sports federations to pick athletes and players if we have professional aspects of our various sports and paying their emoluments based on their earnings and not shortchanging them.”
Ejidike submitted that a holistic sports submit that will accommodate all shades of opinions and critical stakeholders bonded with a political will that will fashion out a novel sports policies is the only way out and panacea to sports debacle in Nigeria which has relegated the nation to the background.