“You reflect my sentiment exactly… I share your views though… May I also say that you make sense most of the time…” Bolaji Abdullahi, HM, Chairman NSC
Introduction
This is the last part of my letter to His Excellency, the aim is to set-up a platform for investigative agencies to do their work. From the media firestorms that Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi unleashed to rebut my observations without proof suggesting one or two things that weren’t really helpful towards sports development in Nigeria, I can discern that his cronies such as Enefiok Udo-Bong and Tunde Akinlabi argued about my credentials academically and sports.
Intrigues and Sadness
Your Excellency, I like to think that Mr. Abdullahi is not paying this cronies part of the N22Million NSC budgeted for promotion without any necessity because media in Nigeria reports the truth (I would think) about the government for free otherwise it is illegal. I will vouch for that any day but cannot remove occasional paid propaganda from my thoughts.
Your Excellency, as the Minister cronies shouted that I’m an illiterate; such statement caused me to laugh out loud with my friends and children as such abbreviated version of my academic and professional credential follows:
▪ Master of Laws (LLM) with Merit 2009
University of London (UCL & Queen Mary) UK
▪ Postgraduate Diploma in European Law 2008
University of London UK
▪ Postgraduate Certificate in International Business Law 2008
University of London UK
▪ Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Honors 2007
University of London, London UK
▪ MBA / Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (PhD) 1990 / 1996
California Coast University Santa Ana, CA USA
▪ Certificate in Business with Accounting concentration 1989
University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) CA USA
▪ Bachelor of Science in Accounting 1988
Minnesota State University (former Moorhead St.) MN USA
(2yrs Part time & professional training in California)
▪ West African School Certificate (O’Levels) 1979
Jibril Martins Memorial Grammar School, Iponri, Lagos Nigeria
▪ General Certificate of Education (GCE) O’Levels 1978
▪ Primary School leaving Certificate 1974
National primary School, Yaba, Lagos Nigeria
▪ Certified Public Accountant (California since 1991) USA
My past clients include City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport, Sherriff Departments, Public Works, Los Angeles Unified School District, Port (Sea) of Los Angeles, City of Bernalillo, Bernalillo County, Large Financial Institutions, Large Entertainment conglomerates and others. I have only identified public institutions as I’m not at liberty to disclose private clients. Not one of my clients’ revenue falls below $1Billion (or about N200Billion). It takes integrity and top security clearance to be entrusted with such responsibility.
Your Excellency, I was also an athlete that represented Lagos State from the age of 14 to 17 (gained from grass root sports development lacking today), qualified along with others at age of 15 to represent Nigeria at World Junior cross country Championship in Poland before the Military regime pulled out. The record is there and my compatriots are alive hale and hearty. Can we say the same thing about Mr. Abdullahi and that Solomon Ogba of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)? In addition, after a successful untainted (with any drug) career at the American collegiate circle, I maintain assistance to many athletes in excess of 100 including camping about 20 of them in Mr. Abdullahi home state of Kwara. Again, the records are there and the athletes are alive and still on the national team since 2006. Shouldn’t the country worry how an athlete remained on national team for about 8 years? I would and it will definitely bother me even though these are my kids.
Your Excellency, Mr. Abdullahi cronies also suggested that they found grammatical errors in my writings; therefore, they can’t comprehend what my articles were about. Unfortunately, from the same media release by Mr. Abdullahi and his cronies the issues were responded to.
Your Excellency , the funniest thing is that my writings invite Nigeria’s intellectuals that can read technical writings (not novices) and legal documents and I like to believe the Minister got such skills and if not, he is not qualified to head any Ministry.
Interestingly, Your Excellency, that Dr. Ojo-Oba (NSC Staff) in charge of N550Million grass root sports development that failed to deliver a single athlete was charged in criminal case while he was the secretary of football federation N1.3Billion scam and his travel was limited then.
Your Excellency, every single proposal delivered to the Minister was free of charge as my contribution to Nigeria but the Minister cronies enjoying N22Million annual paycheques are now having sleepless nights.
In fact, the Minister wrote in November 2012 and I quote, “You reflect my sentiment exactly… I share your views though… May I also say that you make sense most of the time…”
Your Excellency, the question now is, if the Minister agrees with my writings or proposal (delivered voluntarily and free without any interest in any office as I am happy where I am) and yet he is doing the opposite thing, is it not proper to assume that he lacks integrity, objectivity and interest of the athletes rather he bows to his cronies and cabal with impunity?
Your Excellency, I refer to excerpt of my published (copyright) materials again in respect of funding and budget of NSC and you can see why Mr. Abdullahi lacked the skills to remain as a Minister anywhere,
“In 201049 NSC continues the same pattern of spending in all those areas noted in 2009 at higher amounts including increase to N550Million for Grass root sports development. Also, N400Million was budgeted for soft drink Equipment, N88Million for security despite the Nigerian Police having such mandate along with questionable African Athletics Centre for N260Million and N880Million for sporting activities.
201150budget included similar appropriations noted earlier in 2009 and 2010, plus cost of resurfacing National Stadium Surulere, Lagos (NSL) by National Institute for Sports (NIS) for N32M while NSC also has budget doing the same stadium for N81M. NIS does not own NSL and did not have such obligation to resurface any tartan tracks (nor does it appear it was done). NSC also had about N5Billion for sporting activities.
In 201251, NSC maintains similar level of highlighted expenditures. The commission received approximately N9Billion covering the commission, Football Association and Institute of Sports. The personnel cost out of this budget was about N1.6Billion and capital expenditures amounted to N1.5Billion while the remainders of the appropriations were simply overhead.
The budget for 201352 showed a little improvement with reduction in publicity expenditure to about N9Million however; NIS continues its unusual high budget for NSL that NSC has capital expenditures approval away from NIS budget. The National Assembly may have simply missed any of these appropriations except perhaps the notation of unnecessary spending on free facebook.53”
Your Excellency, Mr. Abdullahi simply lacked the skill to comprehend necessity for budget or how budget is made or how to read a budget otherwise he would have refer this outrageous spending to EFCC. Well I speak as an expert designated since 1991 before Mr. Abdullahi and his cronies ever step foot on any University campuses, if they truly did. Furthermore, I would think Mr. Abdullahi is subject to requirement to declare his assets and not maintain accounts abroad which I can determine if he maintains an account in UK within minute.
Conclusion
Your Excellency, my request is simply that NSC be probed and the Minister must step aside to have an effective resolution. Furthermore, AFN leader Solomon Ogba must be probed because multi-Billions received from NSC is simply based on fraud. I have no personal misgiving with the Minister or anyone and my interest is the athletes welfare where there are at least N2Billion in NSC budget for them but some of them cry up to me every now and then for funds, personal issues, travels, education and other concerns. If I can write for about an hour every day until these issues are resolved it saves me telephone costs, travel costs, western union fees and interruptions in dealing with my paying clients’ concerns, so be it because in the end my country benefits and the idiots go home. Simply put I can no longer be “FATHER CHRISTMAS”. Enough is enough. Thank you for listening.
I rest
Dr. Rashid A. Balogun, CPA, LLB(Hons.), LLM(London)
rbaloguncpa@hotma
