On the eve of another Olympic Games, I invite the reader of this page to join me and shed their own tears.
Believe it or not, when Dr. Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, was President of Nigeria, he approved the establishment of a federal government committee with the singular mandate to revive academicals sports in the country. That means, sports at the grassroots, at secondary schools level – natural feeder to elite sports in the tertiary institutions, Local Governments, States and the national sports councils and associations.
The President’s mandate was simple – set up the machinery to revive participation in sports in every secondary school in the country. For most members of the committee, particularly those that were instrumental to establishing it, their vision was small – to organise a national football competition for secondary schools, name itafter Mr. President and get all State governors to direct their ministries of sports and of education to participate, have grand finale in Abuja and get Mr.
It was clear that for the project to succeed there needed to be a general clear understanding by everyone involved in the different parts, with clear roles and responsibilities, a cord connecting all the moving parts in the complex architecture, and a seamless relationship up the ladder of the production line from grassroots to the elite and professional ranks of sports, areas that were outside the direct mandate of the Committee.
At different fora, I led the committee to meet with the Principals of all Federal Government Secondary Schools in the country; all State Ministries of Sports; all State Ministries of Education; Directors of Sports of all State Sports Councils; all Local Governments Sports Councils; the Nigeria Governor’s Forum; all Principals of all public and private Secondary schools in Nigeria; Directors of Sports of Tertiary institutions in Nigeria under NUGA for the Universities, NiPOGA for the...
Every institution readily bought into the grand scheme. Funding was going to be simple and easy. Beyond marketing, sponsorships and partnerships, every student in tertiary institutions would pay an annual sports levy as they have paid to date. He told me that every day of his life as MD he received tons of proposals from organisations and people, big and small. 90 percent of them, he said, ended up in his dustbin. A small percentage attracted his attention, and he sent those ones to responsible subordinates for consideration. But there were a few that attracted his full attention.
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