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Aftermath of Senate probe report: Opposition mounts against Gimba

By DIPO OKUBANJO

THE future of Barrister Abdulrahman Gimba as Nigeria's sports minister, subject of intense speculation since the Senate Committee on Sports submitted its Nations Cup probe report,may be numbered if the position of stakeholders in Nigeria sports are anything to go by.

A preponderant of stakeholders has since the submission of the report on the probe into Nigeria's participation at the 2008 Nations Cup in Ghana, pulled their weight behind a recommendation by the senate committee that the sports commission chairman be removed.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri said during the presentation of the report to the whole house that Gimba lacks the initiative to move Nigeria sports forward, just as he urged the Federal Government to always appoint persons of impeccable records in sports administration as minister of sports.
"His attitude, disposition and utterances and actions to the Senate during the public hearing were disrespectful and contemptous," said Heineken."To put it simply, he would not tell the committee the problems of sports in Nigeria and why we failed at the African Cup of Nations."

Reacting to the development in separate interviews with National Daily, veteran sports manager cum commentator Walter Oyatogun and famed boxing promoter Martin Osaile, described the recommendation of the Senate committee on sports as appropriate.

Oyatogun, who co-pioneered the incorporation of a number of sports associations in the country, said Gimba had through his undertakings since assumption of office increased Nigeria's sporting woes.
"There is nothing definite to write home about his tenure,"began Oyatogun."He started out by declaring a war against his directors. He didn't konw what to do about our participation at the Olympics and see what has happened: A nation of 140 million people could not win a single gold while Jamaica with a very small population was winning gold left, right and center."

Oyatogun said that it was a shame that the sports commission was celebrating a handful of gold medals won at the Paralympic Games.

"Is it not a shame that a nation of 140 million people would have to depend on its disabled athletes to win gold at the Olympics?," he wondered, adding that the National Sports Commssion has to be restructured.
Gimba's appointment as sports minister, said Osaile, has been a tragic commentary on sports development in the country. Osaile however laid the blame for Gimba's failure at the doorstep of the Federal Government.
"Government needs to triple whatever it is spending at the moment on sports. The kind of money we vote for major events like the Olympics is what America and Britain spend on collegiate sports.

"If you what great things you spend big and you don't continue to appoint those who know next to nothing about sport as minister. Over the years we've had water engineers, contractors and chicken farmers. The one there now is said to be a lawyer who doesn't have any sports background.”