By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna
Nigeria needs the right leadership in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to regain its position in the comity of footballing nations in Africa and globally, Director, Grassroots Sport, Federal Ministry of Sports and Social Development, Dr. Ademola Are has said.
The Nigerian senior female national team, the Super Falcons, following their African Women Cup of Nations victory in Cameroon, have refused to release the trophy they won or leave their hotel camp in Abuja until their allowances are paid by the NFF.
Are said it is only sports that unites Nigerians and with football as number one sport in the country, it behoves on the NFF to really make that happen, noting that with good leadership, NFF will stop shifting about its responsibilities and will do its best to develop football in the country knowing what its targets and visions are.
“We should stop putting blame on federal government, we should stop blaming Solomon Dalung because he’s doing his best. The NFF should wake up to its responsibility and do the needful instead of shifting responsibility. Also, we are no longer doing sports in our schools as it used to be in the past. We need to go back to that.”
Are, who was also one of award recipient at event urged Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Kaduna state chapter to make the Governor Nasir el-Rufai the number one sports fan in the state, saying “SWAN remains a vibrant voice of sporting development and activities in the state. I know Governor el-Rufai to be a lover of sports in Abuja and I think that has not been taken away from him”.
Chairman Nigeria Beach Volleyball Commission, Engr Musa Nimrod, who was chairman of the occasion and also a new patron of Kaduna SWAN said Nigeria has a lot to learn from the synergy being exhibited by the SWAN in all facets of the country.
Nimrod noted that the unity of purpose and love exhibited by members of SWAN has given the association a lot of of positive things, which others are envious of.
“I came in here, I saw a lot of flow of love for one another among the SWAN members, which is something other associations and even Nigeria as a country can borrow from,” he said.
Speaking on the N10 million appeal fund for SWAN bus, Nimrod, who promised to keep contributing towards the development of SWAN and sports development in Kaduna state, said it was a good initiative that would further develop sports in the state.
“We know that if they get the bus they are looking for, it would further give them advantage that would help them go round the 23 LGAs and help promote sports. We are believing that before the end of January, they would raise the required funds needed so that sports in Kaduna state would benefit,” he added.
