A view of an old saying essentially suggested that no one can satisfy the whole world at the same time but smart people will say that all depends on the definition of ‘satisfy’ and whether or not the review of such criteria is subjective. No, I’m not arguing with myself but the point will be made later. The time has come now that readers of current sports affairs know the inner happenings of the NSC whether through this writer’s articles or similar alternative outlets devoid of so-called ‘decorum’ by mainstream media writers. Well, just a few of those writers are really not honest with themselves that no one believed anything written by them.
The key point is that Nigerians now can distinguish between paid advertorials in disguise as sports news that were funded by the NSC N30Million budget for promotions without proof of real value to Nigerians from the real truth. In fact, recently the Auditor General of Nigeria and the National Assembly queried several fraudulent expenditures by NSC. It should be noted that auditors do not review all expenses rather a sample of them so there are likely more revelations to come in the future.
Those expenses included advertising expenditure in a newspaper of about N2Million that was never really advertised in any media platform or format in the country. Well, this writer awaits query for the N4Million borehole and illegal payments to Athletics Federation (AFN) in a truly transparent unbiased manner just as done with the illegal Football Federation. Failure of which pundits’ belief that Sports Minister is out to create more problems for himself and the new Director General in order to retain their cronies to fix the created problems at significant costs to the nation will become a reality.
This modus operandi ‘MO’ has been the NSC tool in awarding contracts including cleaning contracts at various stadiums as noted by the Auditor General whereas NSC has cleaners and groundkeepers on staff. What this writer is amazed about is the value National Assembly Sports Committees (Senate & House of Representative) brought to the nation’s sports when not until the Auditor General raised eyebrow likely based on real truth articles will they now recognizes NSC existence has been a giant N15Billion waste of money. Until NSC is restructured with clear terms of engagement focused squarely on the development of sports governed by at least six commissioners with accounting, financial, administrative and technical management skills the Federal Government simply ought to shut it down.
Realistically, Nigerians would have expected those similar skills in the sports committees of both arms of the National Assembly as well, if the country truly wants a sports reform as declared by the President even if Mr. President remains silent on modalities as it is now. Well, some people will say the buck stops at the Presidency and this writer says that the buck stops at all Nigerians’ laps because they chose who controls the government and must hold them accountable.
Way Forward
NSC must be restructured and every individual at NSC must be reassigned including all directors and the Sports Minister.
We know where the country has been and where the sports administrator led us, so the next challenge is how we remove all these sports administrators because to retrain each of them will be counterproductive due to delay in sports development (that needs to begin now) and the costs involved in retraining them. Definitely, the current picture will lead the country to doom. Nevertheless, production of an athlete with real world repute takes an average of six years which means the stars of tomorrow should have been discovered about the age of 12, therefore, the country best hope if the Olympics Games is the measuring stick, is 2020 Games. In hindsight the 2016 Olympics will likely bring the country two athletes’ surprise (this writer knows who they are) and those that attended the London Olympics will no longer be of reckoning.
NSC N30Million budget for propaganda or is it promotions must be STOPPED as it was not intended for any legitimate purpose.
As to funding concern, NSC, though with the Director General (DG) with accounting skills (according to the government) on paper has fired two blanks that ordinarily mean nothing unless the reader knows few things about accounting. Mr. Elegbeleye the DG resumed office with hiring a former drug cheat as his technical adviser or is it special assistant and also refused an invitation extended to him by the National Assembly, his former employer. And I ask, is this guy for real? As noted, his skills in accounting are based on the government media release as such this writer cannot vouch for such accuracy, at this time.
Full blown audit of the NSC must be performed on all expenditure reported by NSC.
I rest
Dr. Rashid A. Balogu, CPA, LLB(Hons.), LLM(London)
