As I took time to write this piece over the weekend, I have my very strong reservations on the quality and character our amiable Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel would make to be at the helm of the Sports Ministry in the state following the successful screening of commissioners nominated to come on board the transformation team.
I really do not know what definition has been focused on developing sports in Akwa Ibom State for the next few years, but I am hopeful that an agenda should be set and given to the new man likely to step in this week, that the private sector driven economy that is being propagated stands a strong chance of gaining more strides with a strong sports sector powered by the private sector.
In the past few administrations in Akwa Ibom State, the sports sector till date is in dire need of competent administrators to chart a new course for sports development but unfortunately, this critical sector which can bring more revenue and fame to the state has been left in the hands of politicians who have the least knowledge of what sports management is all about.
Our past sports administrators have always towed one path in their leadership wearing tracksuits at the beginning of their tenure addressing staff with vague and unfulfilled promises while manipulating the system to have a squeeze of what they can benefit at the detriment of the growth of the different sports associations in the state.
We have had commissioners who came on board and have never known the terms of scoring in many of the games in the state and how they are constituted.
Ask any of our past sports commissioners in Akwa Ibom State till date what level of commitment their administration has impacted in cricket, hockey, lawn tennis, basket ball, hockey, badminton, table tennis, squash and even football and the answer still remains non existent.
And with recent media reports that most if not all the nominees would likely retain their immediate past portfolios, then to what extent will this decision benefit the sports industry if we have the immediate sports commissioner back to the beat.
Yours sincerely ponders what criteria has been laid that would influence a decision to make a new sports commissioner but a certain fact remains that a new course must be charted to develop sports in Akwa Ibom State and the new man on board this week has no excuse because the elections are over and he must sit and create new innovations that would make our dear state stand out.
With just few months to the National Sports Festival scheduled for Cross River State, that remains the major task at hand for our sports in 2015 but before that, what new story is the new commissioner coming to tell the sports family that we have not heard from his predecessors and even himself, that’s if he makes a return to the office.
About from the ‘’initial gra gra’’ and the publicity given to the public that they are ready to work, most of our sports commissioners have absolutely nothing to offer because they do not have a clear cut vision of where to start their work or a definite plan on what sports policy for Akwa Ibom State.
With the completion of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium even before the end of that administration, may I ask what new programme had been made to put the stadium in consistent use by our athletes especially with the state of the art facilities on ground.
How come our athletes have not had access to use the stadium facilities especially the tartan tracks for training sessions as we begin preparations for the National Sports Festival? The coming of Akwa United Football Club may have finally opened the stadium for our athletes but to what advantage will the incoming administration in the sports ministry put to use to maximise the advantages of the Nest of Champions.
The task before the new or re-appointed sports commissioner is challenging yet creative if he intends to make his tenure worthwhile and successful like the likes of Bukola Olapade who transformed sports in Ogun State as Sports Commissioner and Solomon Ogba and Amaju Pinnick in Delta State as the private sector must be his yardstick that would measure his achievements .
This is the moment where your creativity must come to the fore Honorable Commissioner as you must market your sporting facilities to the global market especially the Nest of Champions with dividends while fast tracking the rehabilitation of already dilapidated sporting structures like the Old Uyo Township Stadium and others in Eket and Oron.
For the umpteenth time, I am making a consistent appeal that Akwa Ibom State need urgently a Sports Policy that would focus on grassroots sports development, promote school sports , enhance senatorial sporting competitions in schools and also develop athletes to win more laurels for the state.
With the right calibre of administrator, we should be seeking a sponsorship package that would promote our athletes to international tournaments, training facilities as well as exposing them to quality facilities.
I just hope that the new or re-appointed commissioner would be able to inform our amiable governor that the Nest of Champions needs to have more facilities and that as it stands, is more of a football complex by international definition.
The Nest of Champions in the next four years under a visionary leadership at the sports ministry should facilitate the building and completion of an indoor sports hall complete with a basketball court, basketball court, volleyball court, gymnasium for our boxers, lawn tennis court and others.
The new sports commissioner should please see himself as a leader whose tenure would be temporary and should hit the ground running having extensively lobbied to get to the office and should if patriotic zeal would prevail avoid the financial lure and pecks of the office.
We need a commissioner that will be seen to promoting other sports in the state and should not be meddlesome in the activities of these associations, listening to destructive antecedents and paying lip service to development of the sector.
We need a sports commissioner that would ensure that the welfare of his athletes remains paramount as they must be well motivated to succeed for the state and that means being practical in their duties attending events which are big moral boosters to the players.
We need a commissioner that would embrace the media especially the Sports Writers who have remained a vital sector in sports development in Nigeria. The media will continue to remain active and strategic partners in developing our sports in Akwa Ibom State.
We must also ensure that our biggest sporting brand in Akwa Ibom State is Akwa United and that despite the challenges the club faces each season, the sports ministry should ensure that with the games of the team at the Nest of Champions, we must begin to look for sponsors for the team to compliment the beauty of the stadium.
We must build a stronger capacity programme for staff and sports administrators through trainings and refresher courses to bring them up to date on new sports techniques.
Sports administration is not hinged on ethnic bias or reward but on professionalism especially as we look forward to key investment opportunities in Akwa Ibom State under the Udom Emmanuel administration and we must begin to lay new, honest and sincere foundation that will enhance the growth of sports in the state so that we emulate other states that have used sports as a powerful tool for economic and political development to be among the elite states in Nigeria.
If we have a four year work plan on sports development in Akwa Ibom State with a successful private sector support, then we can happily look forward to our own athletes making waves in future international competitions and bringing honour to our state just like Blessing Okagbare has tremendous support of the Delta State Government which today has positioned her to be among the top three female athletes in the world with bright prospects for Nigeria and Africa at the World Athletics Championship next month.
Sports administration should be holistic with genuine patriotic commitment to deliver not paying lip service with empty promises and the road to a new beginning starts with the first appointment in the present administration which would show what direction and belief of what we should expect in the coming years or if it would be another round of business as usual which at the end leaves our athletes the biggest losers in all aspects, but in all its all about having a visible work plan or sports policy and depending less on government for any lifeline.
Its time to be more creative and whoever sits on the new seat must show working and match words with meaningful actions and learn to accept advice from stakeholders in the industry because obviously most of these administrators have limited knowledge on what sports or sports development is all about but we must have the right man for the job just not anybody.
No comments:
Post a Comment