Fifa threat: NUGA Secretary calls for caution Orodele a member the committee set up by sports and social development minister Col. Musa Mohammed (rtd) caution the those calling for total autonomy of the Nigerian Football Association, he also of the view that government cannot and should not hands-off the running of sports but says government should stop further legislations for professional sports in the country. Excerpt, Q. Background information about the Nigerian University Games Association, NUGA activities? A. NUGA is a biennial games competition started at the University of Ibadan in 1966 and has since moved round to other Universities in the country and we shall be hosting the 20th edition this year at the University of Port Harcourt. NUGA has achieved what the founding fathers thought for it, that is a sporting rallying point for Nigerian University students. The body was given birth to by the West Africa University Games, WAUG in UI in 1965, the first NUGA Games was held following year, University of Lagos, Akoka played host to the games in 1968, in 1970 it was the turn of University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 1972 the games moved to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. University of Nigeria, Nsuka hosted the 1974 edition, the games torch went back to U.I in 1976, UNILAG IN 1978, while new entrant of host University, the University of Benin who added a new dimension to the games with the laying of a tartan track and an Olympic size swimming pool due largely to the loving governor of the then Bendel State, Chief Samuel Ogbemudia. The games continue it journey to ABU in 1982, Ife in 1984, U.I again in 1986, UNIPORT – 1988 and University of Calabar in 1990, University of Ilorin-1992 and after the 1992 games at UNILORIN the games suffered some set backs and was not held until 1997 in Bayero University, Kano who was to host in 1996, UNILAG 1998 was used by the body as a corrective measure so as to regain its status while ABU could host as at when due in 2000 does pushing it forward by a year, U.I 2002 was used again to correct the imbalance and now 2004 when UNIPORT will be hosting the rest of Nigerian University from November 22 through December 4, 2004 in the city of Port Harcourt. The Games has been worthwhile but we believed that it could be better. Q. Role as NUGA Secretary General? A. Hitherto when I was appointed in April 1996 and the coming of elected president in 1992, host University usually produce the chairman, secretary and treasurer, this the secretariat to be nomadic in nature and record keeping becomes difficult. Before my appointment Mr. Sunday Shenkaye of UNILORIN who was the then treasurer was appointed on acting capacity from 1992-1996. Q. How has it been running the secretariat since then? A. Fairly okay, but there are still some expectations that have not been meet because of way of preparing for competitions, which is still fire-brigade-approach. I will like to use this opportunity to thank all our sponsors both past and present for being there for us, and to also call on more corporate bodies to answer our clarion calls by sponsoring more competitions in the Universities so as to reduce the issues of students unrest and other social vices, because sports development is not when you bring hundred people or schools together but one can actually start on a small scale like programmes that would run from Fridays through the weekends which will create an avenue for the students to be positively engaged, such arrangement will also makes it easy for each school to spend less and participate more in different types of competitions and it would equally encourage the development of facilities by the Universities instead of waiting till when they will be granted NUGA Games hosting right before running to upgrade their facilities. Q. NUGA expectations at UNIPORT 2004? A. First and foremost one of NUGA main objective is that host University should have a landmark facility that will benefit the school and it student long after it hosted the games and this new and positive approach began at UNILAG ’98 and the gospel have continued to spread like wide fire. You will remember that before UNILAG hosted the games in 1998 it has no tartan track while ABU built a superb gymnasium U.I completed its own tartan track few months after hosting the 2002 edition and UNIPORT is not going to disappoint in that regard. We are happy at the trend because there are physical developments. The government should equally encourage multi-national companies to invest in facility developments in our higher institutions even though such facility would bear the name of the donor company. Q. Can sports really strive without government support and involvement? A. To me personally, government should be encouraged to hands-off professional sports like the NFA premier football league and to some extent the basketball league, but the affected Association/federation should ensure that the leagues are well packaged instead of being in a hurry, which will make them to sell it for peanut at the end. I believe the associations/federations would be better off if they can do their homework well, companies should also strive to endorse clubs and even individual players. Government should continue to issue policies and provision of wherewithal for amateur sports because it would amount to asking government to hands-off education. Don’t forget that the nationals cannot really function without the government because our national teams will go out there to represent the entire country not an individual association or company, though some of the major problem militating against the growth of sports in the present dispensation is state governors who are using sports as social development and selfish promotion. Q. Do you think world football governing body, FIFA is justified with it latest stand on Nigeria football? A. It would amount to pre-judicial for me to make categorical statement on this issue because I was part of the committee set up by the sports ministry to look at the gray areas and we have since completed our assignments and submitted the report to the honourable minister, though I agree that there should be some level of autonomy for the Nigerian Football Association, NFA but not a complete autonomy, an enabling environment should be created that should allow more private participation and the process should be gradual. 0
Not Registered yet ? Click here to Register. |
Sport Vote |
