Sports minister charges sports federations secretaries on due diligence

The minister reiterated that some requests for funding for competitions from some federations do not serve the national interest

The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, has called on the Secretaries General of National Sports Federations to ensure due diligence and maximum productivity in their respective federations.

Enoh stated this at a meeting with the federations’ scribes at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The minister reminded the Secretary Generals that they are, first, civil servants who represent the Federal Ministry of Sports Development at the various Federations.

“The Secretaries General must ensure that the activities of the Federations should serve the best interest of the Ministry and the nation,” he said.

Enoh emphasised the need to galvanise the various teams for maximum productivity.

He said some requests for funding for competitions from some Federations do not serve the national interest.

“Some requests for funding for competitions by some Federations, no matter how well-intentioned, do not serve the goal and vision of the ministry.

“It is the duty of the Secretaries General as civil servants to guide the Sports Ministry on the relevant and crucial competitions to be funded,” he said

Enoh said that was the only way the Ministry and Federations could channel funds appropriately to build the right momentum for major competitions that serve and uplift the nation.

He called on the scribes to always furnish his office with memos that capture the challenges they encounter in the line of duty and suggest ways to resolve them.

This charge comes on the back of a medal-less outing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, for which the country spent billions. The Minister did not reveal the exact budgetary amount (reports say about N12 billion) but disclosed that all financial requests made by the Ministry of Sports Development for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games were fully met by the Federal Government.

”Part of what the president of our country has done was to approve the entire budget submitted for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Enoh revealed before the Olympics.

”We, therefore, have no excuse to fail because we heard stories of the Olympics after the Olympics, where a request for a certain amount of money was made and a certain amount was approved.

”But in this case, the President has approved the entire budget, so it is up to us and the athletes to try to reciprocate that gesture and encourage the president to do more,” Enoh added.

Team Nigeria finished with no medals at the Olympics but won two gold, three silver, and two bronze medals at the Paralympics.

NAN