A Non Governmental Organisation, has requested former Sports Minister, Sunday Dare to provide detailed account of how over Two million Dollars was allegedly spent on Stadium renovation in Abujaa nd Lagos during his tenure.
This has become necessary in the face of the embarrassing situation in the country where only Godswill Akpabio Uyo is the only CAF approved stadium to host any grade A match,
‘It is hugely embarrassing that today the only stadium qualified to Host FIFA and CAF Competitions in Nigeria is Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, even Remo Facility in Ikenna is only available for preliminary stages, which happened due to the influence of Kunle Soname.’
‘It was even possible because Soname brought CAF inspectors directly to Ikenne in a Private jet before they allowed Remo to use Ikenne on Condition that if they qualify for the group stage, they must play only in Uyo that was last year.’’
In a press statement released in Abuja, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Athletics and other Sports Development Initiative, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, commended the House of Representatives sports committee members for the desire to investigate the Nigeria Football Federation’s FIFA Projects in Nigeria.
Interestingly, Gombe urged the House Sports Committee members to also scrutinize abandoned projects such as the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos and the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, in which over Two million Dollars were allegedly expended respectively without completion.
Details of the press statement read thus:
“My names are Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe I am the chairman Board of Trustees of Athletics and Sports Development Initiative.
A Non-Government Organization (NGO) set by law to promote accountability, Transparency and Good Governance in the sports industry in Nigeria.
“Therefore, in as much as we welcome the investigation, which is around our football industry, we would also like to ask same House of Representatives to be fair to all Nigerians regardless of where they come from to particularly ask former Sports Ministers to also account for funds they received for projects in our sports industry”
“We want to single out a particular one which is more important than the FIFA funds. We are talking about stadium in Kebbi State, I don’t want to talk about that one, because I know the real masquerades behind this conspiracy will show themselves later. “
“The intention was not about the Kebbi Stadium, the intention and reasons for this renewed desire or hope to investigate FIFA funds will surface soon. But can someone ask Sunday Dare, which is the core reason for this statements.
Any Characteristics of a witch-hunt or selective judgement or selective investigation that will make mockery and Nonsense of the Intention will be resisted .
Aliko Dangote Donated $1m Dollars for the Renovation of Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, Similarly, Baba Ijebu Donated similar amount or even more than Dangote for the Renovation of National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos and the Man who received and supervised these Project is Sunday Akin DARE the former Minister of Sports.
Sunday Dare is now one of the media aides to President Tinubu .So the House of Reps must ask him to tell Nigerians just as they are asking NFF on FIFA Grants, they should ask the former Sports Minister for DANGOTE and BABA IJEBU’s GRANTS.
The minister claimed that under his watch the Abuja Stadium was renovated, but since after Spending $1m Dollars the stadium could not host any International games because CAF down graded the stadium to Level One, meaning it cannot host any international match organised by FIFA or CAF.
The story in Lagos is even worse because after chasing out all the traders at the National Stadium Surulere, traders earning their daily bread before Dare became a minister, were chased away after BABA IJEBU gave money for the renovation of the Stadium.
Half way the project was abandoned over inadequate funds after so much media hype .
Nigerians will like to know what happened not only to FIFA Project in Kebbi, we will like to know about FIFA Projects in other parts of the country like in Ogborodo in Delta and DANGOTE/BABA IJEBU Grants.
Therefore, the House of Rep. investigation as the exercise centered around football infrastructure, we must ask the former minister to come clean.
Gara-Gombe pointed out that ‘I personally convinced the Moroccans to play in Ikenne last year otherwise, had they pressed CAF, they could have shifted the match to Uyo. I had to assure them of Safety, quality and even brought in DSS to escort them and be with them throughout in Abeokuta and Ikenne.”