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Tag: Dalung

  • Dalung advises EFCC to beam searchlight on sports

    Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to beam their searchlight on monumental corruption ravaging the sports industry in Nigeria.

    Dalung stated this during the logo unveiling of the 1st Edition of the National Anti-Corruption Marathon billed for November 3, 2018, in Abuja, saying that the anti-graft agencies have neglected their responsibilities due to reasons which are best known to them.

    The Minister emphasised that the worst hit in the sports industry is the Nigeria league where he winner will be determined before the kick-off of the season as a result of corruption in the system.

    “We need the anti-graft agencies to sanitize the sports industry especially our local leagues where our clubs don’t go beyond the first round in inter-club completions due to inducement by the managers of the game, even in international competitions, Nigeria struggles especially the athletes because most of the selections are not based on merits but man know man.   There are so many petitions right now on your table, I expect you to work on them urgently and make it public”. Dalung said.

    Responding, the representative of the Acting Chairman of EFCC and Chairman EFCC Sports Committee, Mohammed Saleh assured the minister that the commission is fully involved in the marathon to create awareness on the activities of the anti-graft agencies.

    Salem said the petitions received on the NFF and other sports federations are being investigated and very soon, their findings would be made public and the culprits will be charged accordingly.

    He said the Commission got involved because it will give the opportunity to educate the government agencies and para-military outfits that will be actively involved in the marathon that will take-off at the Abuja National Stadium and terminate at the Eagles Square.

    According to the organisers, Fairplay Sports International Agency over 10,000 athletes will take part in the marathon.

  • Dalung hails World Cup Festival group

    Nigeria’s Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has commended the trio of Kefas Ropshik (MD Kefiano Autos), Agaba Ikwue (Aden 360)

    Opukiri Jones-Ere (Managing Consultant Erupts Sports) for organising the first ever digital viewing centre at Druz Resort Wuse I, Abuja for fans to watch the ongoing Russia 2018 World Cup.

    The Minister described the young three entrepreneurs for investing their hard earned money on how to make football fans in Abuja relax, happy and enjoy the World Cup despite not being able to watch the world football fiesta live in Russia.

    The viewing Center dubbed ‘Abuja World Cup Festival would enable football fans in Abuja and beyond watch all the matches of the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup live in a conducive and a serene arena for free of charge.

    Unveiling the centre late Wednesday’s night, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung commended the organisers for giving Nigerians, who cannot afford to travel to Russia for the World Cup, opportunity to watch the game they love the most, especially the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

  • Super Eagles ready for World Cup despite loss to Serbia – Dalung

    The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, said on Wednesday the Super Eagles 0-2 loss to Serbia in a pre-World Cup friendly played on Tuesday in London would not affect the team performance when the tournaments gets underway in Russia in June.

    The minister said: “I’m quite confident of the Super Eagles. We mustn’t win every match before we can say we are prepared.”

    The defeat, he said, would only put the team on their toes ensuring a good outing in Russia.

    Dalung added: “The major highlights of the Ministry of Sports’ achievements are the democratisation of the national federation by the ministry as a policy trust. It has gone a long way in improving performances in sports. It has also rebuilt the confidence of our athletes which is giving the ministry the desirable results we are having.

    “Before 2017, the situation in the national federations where the minister had the power to appoint 150 board members and these were seen as political appointments which were counter- productive to the progress and development of sports and we have overcome that.

    “We also analysed national federations and their performances one after the other and of course it has been harvest of medals since the reforms in the national federations.

    “Then we looked at the issue of youth development where the ministry has reviewed the national youth policy which was reviewed last in 2009. We presented this to Council for approval and we looked at youths empowerment programmes of the ministry which trained 400 young people in 2015 and 500 have been trained in 2018 in agro allied services including physical and leadership training. The beneficiaries are usually given take off grants which enable them to establish themselves.

    “We also brought to the Council the progress recorded in National Youth Parliament training program where 109 young people are selected from the 109 senatorial districts in the country and are constituted into a parliament to discuss the issue of young people.

    “Before coming onboard, the programme has been abandoned for a very long time and we resuscitated it. We also informed Council about the last national Council of Sports meeting which we withdrew the hosting right from Calabar which has been with the right since 2012 and has been unable to host the festival. The festival now will take place in November this year in Abuja and the Federal Government is hosting.”

     

  • Commonwealth Games: Dalung, NOC charge federations on good leadership

    Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has charged the sports federations in the country to make the best use of the lessons learnt in the two day the “International Olympic Committee/NOC seminar on good governance in sports” to move sport to the next level.

    The Minister who was represented by the Director of Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Hawa Kulu Akinyemi, said this while declaring open the IOC seminar yesterday and will end today in Abuja.

    Dalung disclosed, “I commend the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) for their collaborations and support which ensured successful conduct of the last election into the sports federation.

    “I believe that the major take away from this seminar is a better understanding of good governance, which I expect you (presidents of sports federations) to translate to better management in your sports, especially the athletes for their better performances”, Dalung stated.

    IOC member and President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Habu Gumel is convinced that “the seminar is a milestone in the annals of Nigerian sports as this happens to be the first time such a high-level seminar is being organised within our shores for presidents and members of our sports federations to address the subject of good governance in our sports system.”

    The IOC expert, Dr. Donald Rukare, who conducted the seminar, said the major problem in Nigeria was how to get the federations to perform optimally. He expressed believd that the problem would soon be a thing of the past.

  • Buhari’s victory in 2015, a political revolution’ – Dalung

    Buhari’s victory in 2015, a political revolution’ – Dalung

    Youth and Sports Development Minister, Solomon Dalung, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in 2015 has proved that one can win election in Nigeria without having money.

    Dalung, at a meeting with officials of the Nigerian Embassy in New York, spoke of a brewing political revolution against ‘god-fatherism’ in the nation’s political space.

    “There is hope for Nigeria. The victory of President Buhari, up till now, not many Nigerians have understood it; it was a political revolution,” he said.

    “What it has brought is that you can contest and win election even when you do not have money. “God-fatherism’ was instituted to control elected officials so that they would not go beyond control.”

    He described god-fatherism as a “political servitude where you are tested to determine your loyalty. The thing is that without a god father, they believe you can’t be controlled.”

    The minister was in New York for the Seventh Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the UN Headquarters where he delivered a paper on: ‘The role of youth in building sustainable and resilient communities’.

    He added:”The ‘Not too Young to Run’ is an advocacy that is sending strong signals to political lords that they had overstayed their welcome; either they give way or they will be forced out.”

    The minister blamed those he called “urban gorillas” whom he said were in charge of the country’s political machinery for manipulating the system.

    “At 53 years, they still call me a small boy,” he said, saying he had contested elections several times and won but was deprived by the ‘urban gorillas’.

    The minister also said he brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Plateau but suffered as an orphan because he did not have a god-father.

    According to him, his advocacy is to liberate the young people, reorient the mindset of many Nigerian youths that have been enslaved.

    He also called on young people to understand the political system they were coming into so as to strategisebetter.

    According to Dalung, Nigeria is making steady progress in infrastructure, economy and security and called for unity.

    He said:”We have the best form of selfless ministers in this era. As ministers, most of us do not have houses but we live in rented apartments in Abuja.

    “Some of us lived in boys quarters before we got apartments because people were asking for N1.5 million as rent.

    “I would have even preferred to stay in Gwagwa but we were told we could not for obvious reasons,” he said.

    Earlier, Nigeria’s Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Samson Itegboje, commended the federal government for the steady progress in the areas of economy, infrastructure, fight against insurgency and anti-corruption.

    The Nigerian ambassador pledged that the missions’ would continue to bring their expertise to bear on the international stage so as to lift the flag of Nigeria high among the comity of nations.

     

  • NYCN urges Buhari to caution Dalung

    NYCN urges Buhari to caution Dalung

    The Deputy National President of Nigeria Youth Council (NYCN), Abdul-Rahman Agboola, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Minister of Youths and Sport, Solomon Dalung, to order following his meddling in the council’s leadership crisis.

    Agboola addressed reporters after a three-day meeting at Reel Daniel Hotel, Ogudu, Ojota, Lagos.

    He described Dalung’s inauguration of a 33-man National Transition Committee for NYCN as a sham, illegal, cruel.

    According to him, for Dalung to take sides and work with an illegal faction shows that there is a cynical move to hijack the council for political gains.

    He said the minster’s role was supervisory and the constitution did not allow him, or any of the council’s advisory members, to interfere in running the council.

    He said: “We don’t want to throw tantrums but the management council had agreed on the congress and election date, and we will pursue it to a logical condition.”

    Agboola restated that the present leadership is willing to hand over to an elected president in April.

  • FG’s appointment of NFF board members an oversight- Dalung

    FG’s appointment of NFF board members an oversight- Dalung

    The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has urged football stakeholders to remain calm over some appointments into the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board by the Federal Government.

    Dalung, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said efforts were being made to correct an oversight made following the recent appointments into the NFF board.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal government had announced the appointments on Friday of over 1,000 members, including 209 board Chairmen.

    They are to fill positions on the boards of government parastatals, including the NFF and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    Others are the National Institute for Sports and the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre which are all under the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.

    Dalung, in the statement released by Nneka Ikem-Anibeze, his Special Assistant on Media, said the appointment of members into the NFF board by government was an oversight.

    “By virtue of their (NFF) statutes, members are elected and not appointed.

    “The appointments were an oversight which is being sorted out. NFF is governed by statutes and board members are elected by congress and not appointed.

    “I am appealing for calm from all stakeholders as it was an administrative oversight. Efforts are tailored towards addressing it very soon.”

    The Minister also stated that government and football’s world governing body FIFA were in talks to clarify the issue and assure them that no harm was intended.

    “I have spoken with ythe FIFA General Secretary over the situation in Nigeria and conveyed Federal Government’s commitment to upholding the governance structure of the NFF.

    “All efforts are on course to liaise with CAF and FIFA on constructive engagement that the situation may likely attract.

    “The current board of NFF under Amaju Pinnick has provided leadership but their performance is subject to a congress and not appointment,’’ Dalung stated.(NAN)

  • Dalung unveils AFN’s new logo 

    Dalung unveils AFN’s new logo 

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has unveiled its new logo.

    Barrister Dalung presided over the unveiling ceremony today at the opening of the Annual General Congress of the AFN at the Nicon Luxury Hotel Abuja. 

    The logo replaces the old one that had been in use since 1944. 

    On the occasion, Barrister Dalung urged the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to set aside their differences and go back to the development of the sport at the grassroots.

    In his remarks, Barrister Dalung noted that the board of the AFN had the highest number of highly qualified and most tested personalities and and as such expected nothing short of qualitative leadership.

    “What is needed of you today is for you to bring qualitative leadership to drive the passion of athletics to great heights.

    “If we provide the desired leadership, other African countries will queue behind Nigeria and we will be able to shape the destiny of Africa. If we organize ourselves, Nigeria will be the economy hub of the entire West African sub region.”

    He appealed to the board members to respect one another to bring about the desired change in athletics.

    “Respect and value yourselves including the past and present leaders because a system that does not recognize history cannot secure the future. You must create space in your leadership to accommodate people of diverse opinions.

    Barrister Dalung also advised the board to begin a massive talent hunt in the rural areas and embark on training for such talents and also engage the private sector for support.

    Earlier, the President of the AFN Hon Shehu Ibrahim Gusau said that the congress which was the first in many years was convened to provide the framework for the Federation’s operation and and future.

    Hon Gusau said that following consultations in the last three months, the Federation has developed its constitution and will be tabled for amendments and ratification.

    He also spoke on efforts to rebrand and reposition the AFN as a global competitive brand.

    “I welcome you to a brand new world of athletics in Nigeria propelled by people, passion and performance.

    I promised that we shall reconstruct the sport with six national Athletics Development Centres. We hope to lay the process for the Middle and Long Distance project in Jos Plateau State while each region of the nation shall have same center. It is our ambition to create  job opportunities for our coaches and train 240 new coaches in the next 18months to meet the requirements of these centres.”

    The plan to build an athletics resort was also unveiled while the President also announced that every personnel in the Federation will be insured from the new season and a reliable data base with biometric capability put in place.

    In attendance were all the board members including three former Directors-General Dr Amos Adamu, Dr Patrick Ekeji, Otumba Gbenga Elegbeleye and the President, Nigeria Olympic Committee Engr Habu Gumel.

  • Ultimate Commander presents national peace torch to Dalung

    Ultimate Commander presents national peace torch to Dalung

     

    Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Ambassador Osita Offor  aka De Ultimate Commander today presented the National Peace Project Torch to the Youth and Sports Minister Barrister Solomon Dalung in Abuja.
    The Peace Torch which is billed to traverse the 36 states of the federation and Abuja is aimed at creating awareness for Nigerian youths on the need to live peacefully and harmoniously with one another irrespective of their tribes, religion, age or ethnic affinity.
    In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Advisory board Dr (Sir) Mike Okiro solicited a collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Federal government to give unflinching support to the Peace Project.
    “Our visit is to solicit collaboration and support for our program,
    the National Peace Project. Sports all over the world is a unifying factor and Nigeria is not an exception. We want to take advantage of that to see if we can bring peace to the teeming youths in Nigeria through our sport, wrestling.
    “We also want President Muhammadu Buhari to coordinate the states to ensure that the governors equally lend their support especially Enugu state, where the title fight will be held. We want other states to send representatives to cheer the Ultimate Commander to victory.
    “Kindly present this Peace Unity Torch to Mr President to show that sports is a unifying factor. Say NO to Violence. Say YES to Sports” Dr Okiro said.
    The Ultimate Commander also said that the unity Torch will be presented to all the states of the federation including the state governors and the FCT Minister.
    “The idea is to raise Peace signatories from all stakeholders of peace and unity of this nation. We equally want to be part of the history that will create a platform for people to understand that it is better to talk peace than to talk violence. We are using wrestling, music and entertainment to champion the cause because we are role models to the youth and youths like sports and music”
    In his response, Barrister Dalung thanked the board for their mission. He said  that having been created as a country, Nigerians have  no choice but to live together as brothers and sisters.
    “I want to appeal to Nigerians that the idea being muted and supported by these great minds for the unity of the country is an idea that every right thinking Nigerian must embrace. We must live together in peace and unity.
    “For the young people, the challenges of unemployment, the excruciating trauma of hunger and poverty ravaging the land exists but it is not a good reason for us to go for the other option. The best is for us to be united so that we can solve the problem.
    ” I want to assure you that we will take steps to secure the buy-in of Mr President in this particular project. We will also appeal to our traditional rulers and religions leaders across the country to key into this project.
    “The governors of the various states will be the greatest beneficiaries of this project because if at the end of the day we are able to promote peace in the various states, they should also be fair to us to support us with part of their security vote.”
    The Peace Project is a charity event using sports to drum up support for a peaceful coexistence among Nigerians especially the Youths.
    The National Peace Torch tour starts later this month through November while the Charity event which includes the Legends Battle for Peace Challenge will hold in Enugu on Dec 8, 2017.
  • Signing Peace corps bill into law will reduce crime, unemployment says Dalung

    Signing Peace corps bill into law will reduce crime, unemployment says Dalung

    The Minister of Youths and Sports Development,   Solomon  Dalung, has said he will do everything possible to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari sign the recently passed peace corps bill into law within the shortest possible time.

    Dalung, who expressed    support for the  establishment of Nigerian Peace Corps said the bill when finally signed into law will reduce criminality, as its core mandate was to engage the youths who were currently roaming the streets and as well tackle unemployment.

    The minister, who formally received the copy of the harmonised version of the bill passed by National Assembly from the Commandant General of the Nigerian Peace Corps, Ambassador Dickson Akoh  expressed hope that the Presidency would give consideration to the bill.

    “For me as a minister of youth, I have a lot of young people on the street which every day I lose my sleep over what we should do for them.

    “So, if we have this organisation coming up and depopulating these young people, it will be a celebration that our problems are reducing on daily basis.

    “On this note, I call on all Nigerians with the initiative of opportunity of engaging our young people, to please put it into practice; let’s join our hands together and engage our young people productively so that we can be sure of a better country tomorrow.

    “If we do not invest in the youths today, we are investing in criminals tomorrow.

    “ If we fail to invest in youths today, we lack the moral ground to complain against criminality tomorrow”, the minister said.

    Dalung also reacted to the recent clampdown on the corps by the Nigerian Police, saying the activities of the organisation since 18 years ago were not different from all other voluntary organisations which he was familiar with.

    “Just like every other voluntary organisation under the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, we have the Nigerian Boys Scout, they wear uniform, they have regimented operation, they train and they contribute positively to maintaining law and order in this country.

    “The Nigerian Man’O’War members dress even in the manner that is similar to the military, they are involved in training that are regimental training, they have been operating and making great contributions to peace and security in Nigeria.

    “We have the Red Cross, we have the Boys Brigade, we have the Girls Brigade; we have so many of such organisations that are affiliated to the ministry.”