FORMER Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Amos Adamu was redeployed from the Ministry of Sports to Special Duties recently. The FIFA and Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) only knew of the development via a letter by the Head of Service.

DR. Adamu was directed to hand-over to the most senior officer, pending when a substantive Director-General will be appointed.

THE humiliation of the redeployment is enough for somebody like Amos Adamu to throw in the towel, having regards to the public offices he has managed both in the country and outside.

AS a Director at the NSC in charge of sports, the outrageous N35b budget drawn by the local Organisation Committee (LOC) of Nigeria 09, passed through him. He was in a better position, as the eyes of Nigeria, to prune the budget. But Adamu allowed the budget to pass, which means he took side’s with the LOC. Whether he stood to gain from the expected largesse, is subject of another discussion.

HOWEVER, The NIGERIAN OBSERVER believes that if Dr. Adamu was current with recent developments in sports, he would have thrown the paper back at the LOC, knowing that FIFA, organisers of the U-17 World Cup would be played next year in Nigeria, would be taking care of the feeding and accommodation of visiting players.

IF Dr. Adamu had nothing to hide, he would have summoned the LOC members to a meeting where every point raised in the budget would have been discussed before forwarding the budget to the President. That the LOC accepted the N9b approved by the President, clearly underscores the fact that the LOC had other motives not in the best interest of Nigeria.

THE government should go further to unmask those behind the act and take appropriate action. If the government must be seen to be fighting corruption, anyone fingered should not be spared. This is the stand of The NIGERIAN OBSERVER.

NOW that the LOC is working under the direct supervision of the Vice-President, it is necessary to ask the role of a new Director-General come Nigeria 09.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER wishes to sound a note of warning that the Special Duties Ministry is in danger with people like Dr. Amos Adamu in charge. A man who cannot manage his constituency where he grew, may throw caution to the wind when he assumes duty.

SECONDLY, a new Director-General at the NSC may not be too prudent with public funds if he is made to believe that the punishment for misdeeds is mere redeployment to another ministry.

THEREFORE, the government should tarry awhile and monitor how effective it would be if sports is managed directly under the presidency.

THE government should also look at the unpaid allowances of our athletes who have represented the country in several international meets. Officials found to have embezzled such funds should be flushed out and disciplined. Such discipline could involve re-payment of the money they embezzled. THIS will go a long way in sanitising our sports industry. We have suffered enough while some privileged few have enriched themselves with public funds. Nigerians appointed or elected into public offices must learn to be honest and transparent in all that they do.

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