Sanchi committee: Sports Minister has looked for trouble

Bolaji Abdullahi, Sports Minister...doing
the abominable in our sports. Applause for him

THE NEWS: NSC sets up panel to investigate allegations of corruption made by athlete

Following the allegations made by Ms Esther Obiekwe, an amateur marathoner, in The Nation’s newspaper of 6^th January, 2013, that she was asked to give bribe in order to be part of the Nigerian contingent to the London 2012 Olympic Games, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has set up a panel to investigate the veracity of her claims.

In the said publication, Ms Obiekwe had made sweeping allegations that were considered injurious to the corporate image of the Commission, claiming among others, that nearly all the athletes to the London 2012 Olympics bribed their way to the Games and that the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) asked her for inducement but she refused to give.

Justice Danlami Sanchi chairs the Panel.  Other members are: Dr. Gloria Obajimi, President of the Nigeria Chess Federation, DCP Mohammed Sani, the Legal Adviser of the NSC as members while Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Sule will serve as the Secretary.

The panel, which began sitting last week, will complete its task this week.  Ms Obiekwe is expected to appear before it at 2pm on Monday, 14^th January, 2012 to prove her allegations.

THE NEWS ANALYSIS: It is the very first time in a long time that the National Sports Commission (NSC) is responding to such grievous matters like this. This is a Commission that never responded to issues of image. For this, one must commend the NSC Chairman, Bolaji Abdullahi. He deserves commendation. One hopes they will take such issues to high level of sports governance.

One of the issues that the Justice Sanchi committee will need to establish is, the lady making the allegation IS NOT a qualified athlete to have been in the London 2012 Olympics in the very first instance. (see FOOLING NIGERIANS IN THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT. http://olajidefashikun.blogspot.com/2012/07/fooling-nigerians-in-olympic-spirit.html)

How was she smuggled into the list of Nigerian athletes in London? Monies were allegedly made off some corporate organisations in the process. Were these allegations true? Who were involved. This is a bigger corruption.

I investigated the matter and reported same. We have to get to the root of this bigger corruption and the culprits must be punished accordingly.

Sex scandal: The NSC would do well to either extend the terms of reference of the Sanchi committee to look into the sex scandal for which the alleging athlete had been ostracized and discriminated despite improving standards. (see: SCANDALS OF SEXUAL NATURE IN NIGERIAN ATHLETICS. http://olajidefashikun.blogspot.com/2011/10/scandals-of-sexual-nature-in-nigerian.html). The allegation of discrimination was the outcome of my report (see Athletics Fraud of Nigeria (AFN) in World junior scandal

http://olajidefashikun.blogspot.com/search?q=world+junior)

 

  God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Can justice start to apply to being a Nigerian? Uhm! This is a good precedence that has to be retained and sustained. See why we need a sports justice system?