In a bid to eradicate corruption from the sports industry, an NGO has requested that former sports minister Sunday Dare to provide detail account of over Two million Dollars allegedly spent on Stadium renovation during his tenure.
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 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, Transperency 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 resist .
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 has found shelter inside the Villa as President Tinubu Media Team.So the House of Reps must Ask AKIN to tell Nigerians just as they are asking NFF on FIFA Grants, they should ask AKIN For DANGOTE and BABA IJEBU GRANTS.
Sunday DARE claimed that under his watch renovated Abuja Stadium but since then the stadium after Spending $1m Dollars 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 worst.Sunday DARE Chased out all the traders in the National Stadium Surulere, traders earning their daily bread when DARE was in Secondary school, he chased them away after collecting Millions of Dollars from BABA IJEBU in the name of renovating the Stadium.Half way he abandoned the project after so much media hype Claiming that the money is not enough.
Nigerians will like to know what happened not only about 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 SUNDAY DARE to come clean. It is hugely embarrassing that today the only stadium qualified to Host FIFA and CAF Competition in NIGERIA is Godswill AKPABIO Stadium in UYO even REMO FACILITY in Ikenna is the only available for preliminary stages, which happened due to the influence of KUNLE SONAME who brought CAF inspectors directly to Ikenne in a Private jet before they allowed REMO to use Ikenne on Condition that if they qualify to Group stage, they must play only in Uyo that was last year.I personally convinced the Moroccans to play in I Ikenne last year otherwise, had they press CAF, they could have shifted the match to UYO.I have to assure them of Safety, quality and even brought in DSS to escort them and be with them throughout in ABEOUKUTA and IKENNE.”