Friday 26 August 2016

Rio 2016 fallout: Senate probes Dalung, others - TheSun

Less than one week after the end of the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil, where Nigeria won only a Bronze Medal in male soccer game, the Senate has revealed plans to probe the roles of the of Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung and the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), over the poor performance of the country’s contingent to the global event.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Joe Obinna Ogba made the disclosure during an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday.
Ogba, who was part of the official delegation to Brazil, said a lot of factors ranging from poor funding to logistics, contributed to Nigeria’s abysmal performance at the Olympics Games, saying that the Senate will look into the circumstances when it resumes from recess next month. “My committee intends to invite the NOC to come and brief us on the Olympics. Apart from the late arrival of our athletes’ kits, you can see even our national anthem at the opening ceremony was the wrong one. So, all these, we are going to find out what happened when we resume,” Ogba said.
On the donation of $390,000 to the Dream Team VI by a Japanese plastic surgeon and football enthusiast, Dr. katsuya Takasu, the lawmaker said it was wrong of the team to receive the money because, its source was unknown.

“I do not think it was nice for our country to accept such money, given the happenings around world now. Money is good, but it’s not every money that comes your way that you collect.
So, I associate myself fully with the President of the Nigeria Football Federation,” he noted.
On the calls for the resignation of Minister Dalung, Ogba said such calls were alien to Nigerian culture, as only the President can hire and fire a minister.
He therefore enjoined Nigerians to plead with President Muhammadu Buhari to release adequate funds to the Ministry of Sports in order for it to fulfil its obligations.
So, I associate myself fully with the President of the Nigeria Football Federation,” he noted.
On the calls for the resignation of Minister Dalung, Ogba said such calls were alien to Nigerian culture as only the President can hire and fire a minister.
He therefore enjoined Nigerians to plead with President Muhammadu Buhari to release adequate funds to the Ministry of Sports in order for it to fulfil its obligations.

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