Hon. Gara Gombe, Chairman of the Gombe Athletics Association, has advised the government against allocating N78 billion to the National Sports Commission (NSC). Instead, he suggests that the NSC handlers should raise funds privately to drive the sports economy ¹.
Gombe expressed concerns that the NSC lacks transparency and accountability, citing instances of mismanaged funds and corruption. He mentioned that the NSC Chairman, Shehu Dikko, had his property seized by the ICPC, and the NSC Director-General is currently under investigation for allegedly collecting money from federations.
Gombe emphasized that sports economy is not run through public funds and that the government should not provide the NSC with such a large allocation. He argued that this approach would only lead to mismanagement and corruption.
Key Points:
- Private Funding: Gombe advocates for private funding of the sports economy, rather than relying on government allocations.
- Lack of Transparency: He expresses concerns about the NSC’s lack of transparency and accountability.
- Corruption: Gombe cites instances of corruption and mismanaged funds within the NSC.
- Alternative Approach: He suggests that the government should withdraw from giving funds to sports and instead establish a Team Nigeria concept with appointed trustees to manage funds.
Gombe’s statement comes as a call to action for the government to rethink its approach to funding sports development in Nigeria.
