Punch Editorial: Sports Minister, Enoh appears clueless about sports administration
Sports Development Minister, John Enoh has been described as clueless as far as the administration of sports in Nigeria is concerned in a Punch newspaper editorial of Saturday, August 31, 2024.
The newspaper, in x-raying President Bola Tinubu’s minister’s performance after a year in office says Enoh has done nothing to stop the tide of corruption in the sports sector and told President Tinubu the Sports Development Ministry needs a capable hand to manage its affairs.
‘Notwithstanding its critical importance to national cohesion and development, the sports sector has not received the required attention. The corruption and mismanagement that rendered the sector comatose have not been addressed by the Sports Minister, John Enoh, who appears clueless about sports administration.
‘Nigeria’s woeful outing at the just-concluded Paris Olympics, despite spending N12 billion on the team, exposed Enoh’s naivety. The sector needs a capable hand,’ wrote the Punch newspaper in the editorial.
The newspaper also wrote about the outdated sporting facilities in the country as well as the absence of a maintenance culture.
‘Many sports facilities in Nigeria are outdated and need significant upgrades. While plans for renovation and construction have been announced, the pace of progress has been slow, limiting the potential for athlete development and international hosting opportunities.
‘The maintenance culture is poor, meaning that even newly renovated facilities can quickly fall into disrepair without proper upkeep. Streamlining processes and improving transparency are crucial for the success of sports management initiatives.’
Sportsnow recalls the Sports Minister’s promise in late February to set up an independent panel to probe the mismanagement, misappropriation of funds and corruption in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria as contained in an audit report by a committee set up by a resolution of the Executive Board of the Federation in September 2023.
The Sports Minister has not set up the committee, lending credence to the Punch editorial that he has not addressed the corruption and mismanagement that rendered the sector comatose.
