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Sports entrepreneur and former Gombe United FC Chairman, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has said only administrators with skeletons in sports can afford to bar stakeholders from expressing their views on sports development in Nigeria.
In a chat with journalists recently, Gara-Gombe noted that on several occasions, he had been barred from expressing his views over major development and appointment in Nigeria sports in radio and television stations in Nigeria.
“All sports stakeholders and those who appreciate my modest contributions in Nigeria sports, especially trying to always put sports administrators and managers on their toes.
“I advise them not to worry as many people have been calling me, sending messages to my friends and close associates asking why I have been quiet about the reintroduction of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the managers.”
The Chairman Gombe State Athletics Association also reacted to rumours that he had pulled out of sports business and administration.
“There’s nothing to worry about as my silence is deliberate, I’m still in sports, people are saying I have quite sports, I’m not out of sports for now.
“Because there’s no way I can afford to sleep because certain people who I have differences with about how they managed our sports in the past are now in charge of sports in the country.
“The Nigeria Constitution has given me and all of us the right to participate in lawful activities in the country, in this case, including sports. So, my silence is deliberate, I will talk at the right time.”
On his travails with a few television and radio stations in Nigeria, he said: “I would like to say clearly that in the last few weeks, I was barred from featuring on four national television and Radio stations, even a few newspapers to express my opinion and discuss the newly introduced National Sports Commission (NSC) by the Federal Government.
The disturbing part is that those who blocked me using proxies have no idea of what I want to talk about, I don’t know what they are afraid of or why they don’t want me to express my own right and opinion as guaranteed by law.
“I don’t see why they should be afraid,
If they feel comfortable with their past or who they are, why must they go about blocking me?
“There was this station, one hour to a scheduled interview, they called me to say my air time (interview) had been paid for. However, I know about television production, one can’t come two hours to production to tell me my air time has been paid for.
“It doesn’t show integrity of the media; however, I don’t own a TV or a radio station, but I own a newspaper and I would continue to raise my voice on issues I feel are in the best interest of the Nigerian public.
“The intriguing side of it is that they don’t have an idea of what I want to say whether or not it’s in their favour.
“So because people that have skeletons never wanted a biology teacher to handle a topic on anatomy.”
He assured all sports stakeholders and those who still have confidence and belief in his contribution in sports in Nigeria to remain calm.
“I’m very much around, concerned and will pursue swift and talk about credible sports development in Nigeria without fear or favour.
“Currently, I am outside the country, I can also talk from anywhere around the globe, for now, I am.busy to start commenting on issues Nigerians are already aware of, but at the appropriate time, no individual or group can cover the sun or the moon with two hands
“My detractors forgot that the social media is also available to me to air my views. At the end of the day, the national interest shall prevail.
“Nigeria is bigger and greater than any individual or cabal that wants to hold down Nigerian sports. Profiteering from it in the last 20 to 25 years must stop,” he concluded.
On the panel set up by the former Minister of Sports, John Enoh, Gara- Gombe said as far as he was concerned, the seven-man committee didn’t do a good job.
“They left many issues untouched. They didn’t talk about finances and also they refused to investigate the AFN on why certain things happened.
“I see no reason the panel didn’t indict the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) they also refused to indict the former Minister, and Ministry officials in areas concerning how the over N24 billion Olympic funds was managed.”
