Nigeria Football Federation president, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has confessed that is just getting to know the embattled outgoing Minister of Youth and Sports Development Chief Sunday Dare.
Gusau told media in Abuja that despite working with Dare for the past eight months (he became NFF president in September 2022) “We are just getting to know ourselves.
“I will definitely miss him because the NFF and the Sports Ministry are having a cordial and smooth working relationship. The synergy between us is good which is yielding positive results.
“First of all I just want to say something about his stewardship as the minister of sports for a period of four years, and you had it all from the president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, he has outlined all his achievement, all the policies, all the programs he has brought into the system, some have started working, while the impact of others will be seen after he leaves office.
“The most unfortunate thing is that I came just a few months back and we just started, and God so kind we have started to understand ourselves and working very well together and unfortunately he is going to leave.”
Gusau however wants the incoming Sports Minister to emulate Dare and follow his blueprint in order to take sports to greater height in the country while wishing Dare well in his future endeavours.
“The only thing we can wish him is to wish him well, we wish him God’s protection, and God should even elevate him higher, but we will really miss him in the football industry.”
Meanwhile, President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau and the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi have congratulated the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Chief Sunday Akin Dare on his conferment with the national award of the prestigious Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.
Chief Dare’s name topped the list of those conferred with the CON award, and which was released on Sunday.
“The National Award of CON conferred on Chief Sunday Dare by Mr. President goes a long way to underscore the character, diligence, competence and drive that the man brought to the job. Chief Dare worked assiduously to reposition Nigeria
sports generally and posterity will be kind to him,” he said.
On his part, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi celebrated the award of CON on the Sports Minister and stated that the strong mentality and passion that Chief Dare brought to the office remains ineffable.
“He has been a class act. We celebrate him for the award and we pray that he will continue to soar even higher in his future endeavours,” he said.