allowed to prevail over common sense and merit in appointments to federation boards, excluding the passionate.
He said preparations for major tournaments are often wishy-washy, adding that most national competitions, including the National Sports Festival (NSF), have become a shadow of their past.
“The worst is the appointment of novices as sports ministers. The fault lies at the door of the Presidents since 1999,” he lamented.
“They use sports to reward politicians instead of appointing capable administrators. This does not need money, just wisdom.
“President Bola Tinubu can return Nigeria to its halcyon days. In the Barcelona ’92 Games, Nigeria had two finalists in the men’s and one in the women’s 100m.
“With 7.12m, Chioma Ajunwa gave Nigeria its first athletics gold at Atlanta ’96. The U23 team beat Argentina to the gold in the ’96 Games and a silver at Beijing 2008,” he said.
He added that the NSF must be revived and the national meets in athletics, table tennis, basketball, handball, volleyball, and others restored.
