UBEC expresses readiness to develop sports programme n primary schools

Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has expressed it readiness to complement the President Bola Ahmad Tinubu commitment towards the overall development of various sporting activities especially at grassroots levels.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Aisha Garba dropped this hints at the opening ceremony of UBEC northwest organised inconjuction with the Nigerian School Sports Federation NSSF for inter primary schools held at NYSC camp, Dutse, Jigawa state.

Aisha Garba who spoke through Oshomoba ester described sports as one of the unifying factor for unity and peace as well as projecting the good image of the state and the country at large.

She pledged to continue to do everything possible to support any meaningful programme that has an impact on y development of teeming youths in the country.

The Executive Secretary further hinted that the eventual winners and runners up are automatically qualified to represent their zone in the final stage of competitions scheduled to hold later in the year in Abuja.

''I really impressed with the turn out of participant states and I want to called on the officiating officials to fair throughout the games,'' she said.

She added that despite experience insurgency in the Northwest Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano and

 Jigawa were all in attendance.

Aisha Garba said apart from sponsoring sports competitions, the commission has design various programme aimed at improving education system in the state and the country in general.

Similarly, the President of the NSSF, Olabisi Joseph represented by her Vice, Malam Aminu Satkin Fada commended UBEC for it commitment and support towards the development of sporting activities in the country.

She called on the agencies and multi corporate organisation to contribute their quota for the promotion and development of sports across the country.

Four events were competed include football, volleyball, handball and basketball in the three days tournaments for boys and girls categories.

Some of matches played Kano defeated Zamfara in the football event while more matches would continue tomorrow Wednesday at Dutse NYSC camp.

Kano govt pledges more support to sports

Kano state government has expressed readiness to encourage and motivate the students in order to improve their skills in various sporting activities in the state and the country at large.

The state commissioner of education, Gwani Ali Haruna Makoda stated this while receiving a two trophies won by Ahmadiyya College basketball teams at the recent concluded  Savannah Conference Milo Inter Secondary Schools championship in Kano.

Gwani Ali Haruna Makoda said that the present administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has been supporting financially and morally in promoting and developing various sporting events across the state.

While congratulating the students for making the state proud in the tournament, he pledged that the ministry will continue to do it's best towards the overall development of sports in schools.

 

He then commended the sporting section of the state ministry for their commitment and dedication in promoting and development of various sporting activities in the state.

Earlier, the head of school sports of the ministry, Malam Ibrahim Bello applauded Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and state commissioner, Gwani Ali Haruna Makoda as well as other senior staffers for their support and understanding in moving the sports forward in the state.

It would be recalled that Ahmadiyya College basketball teams for both boys and girls have won the runners up trophies at the end of the Savannah Conference.

 

NSC Chairman Dikko, DG Charged to Stop Globetrotting, Sit at Home, Work for Nigeria's Sports

One of Nigeria's sports entrepreneur and Chairman and Board of Trustees of Athletics and Other Sports Development Initiative Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has Charged the Chairman of National Sports Commission (NSC) Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade to sit down and pay more attention to assignments in Nigeria's Sports.

He further emphasied that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not appoint them to be globetrotting the whole world,

as facts have it that since their appointment, both Mallam Shehu and his DG Olopade have traveled outside Nigeria 12 times  as spectators and had never signed any sports deal based on  the e-sports economy agenda of Mr. President.

In a press statement on Thursday and  made available to Journalists in Abuja, Gombe said, "The most embarrassing was when I saw the NSC Chairman travelling to one of the African countries to serve as CAF match Commissioner."

According to him, "If Dikko wants to keep functioning as Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) match commissioner, he should first resign as NSC Chairman, both assignments are not equal. I believe his incompetence on the NSC job have started to show.

Gombe positted that Mallam Shehu Dikko's  position is equivalent to being Nigeria's Sports Minister with huge responsibility and  should stop embarrassing Nigeria.

This is not League Management Commission, (LMC) It is National Sports Commission.

Again, Bukola Olopade  who is stirring the all-important  National Sports Festival Committee supposed to sit down as NSC's Administrative head  but he is busy following footballers, weightlifters the whole places, a job naturally, designated for Sports Federation Presidents.

"They should stay in Nigeria and work.  Unfortunately, since their appointment, Nigerian Sports have no visible direction.

They harp about sports economy and have gone to the President to tell him all sorts of things, the next thing they did was load pictures, videos for people see because that's the tactics they deployed to deceive Mr. President."

Details of the Statement read thus..

"You don't run sports in the Media. Sit down, with your DG and work.

Stop behaving like a permanent secretary or Managing director or Chairman of a company, you suppose to function with board of directors, it is in the Act that established NSC"

"Any arbitrary decision you take is illegal and could be challenged in a court of Competent jurisdiction, because you are not supposed to take arbitrary decisions as Chairman or DG against the provisions of the NSC Act as other institutions that  would have been on the NSC Board are being denied their rightful places as part of Nigeria's project to exercise their enterprise, but you cut them off and two of you sat down to decide what you like, spending Nigeria's money any how".

"Let me remind you, "Any money spent outside the provisions of NSC Act would be accounted for.

I trust you are aware of federal government circular that stipulates how many times public officers can travel with government funds outside the country in a quoter? Are you aware?

Sports is not an exception, all these trips you both are embarking on supposed to be approved  by the board.

It is the sports federations chairman that should be traveling with their teams and not you both.

You have not organized anything that would impact positively on Nigerian Sports since your appointment, it has been from receiving visitors to globetrotting",

"Hon. Olopade, appointed his friend Yusuf Ali in the Podium Finish project, that is fine and have started paying training grants to supposedly Elite athletes and Nigerians are asking, who are these athletes, what are there Names and categories, which countries are they domiciled?

Nigerians are demanding to see the list of elite athletes that received $20.000, $10.000 and $5.000. and their categories well written. It's public money.

Nigerians also want to know who gave Mallam Dikko the power to approve such money outside the board, what are the criteria for approval and release?

This is not how government works.

It is a shame that in this country, apart Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa/Ibom state, there's no other stadium in Nigeria  that meets CAF or FIFA standards to Host international football matches and NSC heads are busy traveling, is that not supposed to be worrisome to them?

The Remo- Ikene Stadium built by Chief Kunle Soname has become the only center in the South West for CAF matches and no other international match finals finals would be played there  except preliminaries.

The Remo- Ikene Stadium was only  considered based on the huge influence of sports loving Kunle Soname who  provided a jet for CAF officials to inspect the stadium. 

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a chance to play in the Ikene stadium.

Now, Remo Stars FC have won the NPFL Cup, where would the team play their continental games?

Dikko,  Nigerians have given you an opportunity to change from your old ways, but you have not changed. 

Please sit down do the job given to you by Mr. President.

You have to put on your thinking Cap", Gombe said.

Nigeria set to establish new sports management board- Dikko

```By Abdulgafar Oladimeji

The chairman National Sports Commission, NSC Shehu Dikko has revealed that the commission has set in motion the process to establish Nigeria’s first Sports Infrastructure Development Management Board.

Dikko in a television chat titled Reshaping Democracy aired on NTA, last Tuesday disclosed that the moves to create the new board is as a result of the efforts to revive the decaying state of sports infrastructure in Nigeria.

He added that the creation of the planned board is targeted at refocusing Nigerian sports from sole reliant on taking part in competition only to productivity levels.

The NSC boss explained that the plan is to reposition the sector to enable it contribute to the national GDP through the concession and licensing of sports facilities to boost revenue generation.

He then disclosed that plans are underway to construct one new stadiums in the six geographical zones.

He added that , MKO stadium Abuja would be used to kick start the new revenue generation model being introduced by the commission.

Dikko opine that the new plan is part of the strategies to develop and sustain sports infrastructure in Nigeria through investment drives.

He boasted that the task is an easy one, if the budget is available, adding that the commission has mapped out plans to engage potential partners from the public and private sector to attract huge investments into sports infrastructure.```

KHAIRUN gets new sports facilities, as VC, Prof. Garba equates action with economic dev’t

As the Khalifah Isyaku Rabiu University (KHAIRUN), Kano, launches its newly constructed basketball and tennis courts, its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulraheed Garba, has observed that sports as the fastest growing industry in the global economic circuit. 

Professor Garba said sports is now a lucrative business, stressing that it it could be running in tandem with education in no distant time.

According to him, sports now occupy a strategic place in the socio-economic development of nations across the world.

The university authority, he noted, has keen interest in promoting sports, a situation which has culminated in its motivation of its students to develop their skills through the provision of top class sports facilities to encourage their indulgence in various sporting events aimed at to propelling them for participation in future national and international engagements.

Urging the students to redouble their effort with a view to achieve their set out objectives in life, the Vice Chancellor explained that education and sports if combined could catapult them to ascend to higher heights on the global stage.

He commended the proprietor of the institution for his commitment and support towards the development of education and charged the students to utilize the facilities provided in order to actualize their set target.

Professor Garba who was renown for his prowess as a former basketball star emphasized that the significance of education and sports is unique and unquantifiable.

In his remarks, the guest speaker at the occasion, Professor Musa Garba Yakasai said sports is one of the factors uniting various ethnic groups in Nigeria, adding that it is a tool used in projecting the positive image of nations that have invested massively in the sector.

In their separate remarks, the former Vice chancellor of Northwest University, Professor Mustapha Isa and KHAIRUN's registrar, Yusuf Datti urged the students to utilize the facilities for their benefits.

Delivering a vote of thanks, the director of sports of the university, Aishatu Dauda, pledged to work tirelessly towards the promotion and development of sports in the state.

Highlights of the event include the launching of the courts by Professor B.A. Haruna of the faculty of law, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and a novelty match between selected students of the university.