PRESIDENT Umar Musa Yar’ Adua last week rescinded his earlier decision to withdraw the hosting of the U -17 cadet world soccer championship, slated for October next year in Nigeria.

HIS earlier decision was anchored on the unsteady budget which the Local Organising Committee (LOC) hurriedly pruned to N17b from its initial N35b. After a re-think, the President approved N9b. For this singular act, the President is receiving encomiums from sports – loving Nigerians who felt it would not be good for the image of the nation not to host the U-17 World Cup.

FOR now, the LOC will work under the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who will personally supervise the games expenditure.

WHILE many expect the Mainasara Ilo-led LOC to resign in protest or frustration, members are sitting tight in spite of the monumental fraud which the initial budget suggested. That it took the Presidential threat to reduce the earlier budget, clearly underscores the fact that members of the LOC either do not know what is going on in sports circles or deliberately decided to cheat or defraud Nigeria.

IT is a statement of fact that if the N35b budget the LOC originally presented is ploughed into road maintenance or electricity supply, Nigeria would benefit immensely. But we all resolved to bear the pains of bad roads and poor power supply to support sports especially football which has remained a rallying point for us as a nation.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER is not unaware of how some priviledged people had defrauded the nation in the past in the name of sports promotion or development. Some people serving the nation, are fond of setting a target for themselves once appointed to serve in committees. The Nigeria’ 89 world youth championship afforded many to build palatial mansions in choice cities while others left the shores and settled abroad, leaving the suffering masses whose tax they claimed to have recklessly spent on projects that did not exist to suffer.

THOSE caught in the evil act were never punished; hence the present LOC members saw their appointment as another opportunity to help themselves with public funds.

THOSE arguing that proposals are always pruned by government are only trying to save face. A man who knows his direction would not wander into other areas especially when the man is worth his salt.

SINCE FIFA is providing accommodation and feeding for the visiting footballers, what else does the LOC need such colossal sum for? Have the members forgotten so soon how our stadia were abandoned shortly after the World Youth Soccer championship? Are the members saying they are satisfied with the state of our stadia all over the country and the facilities therein?

IF their answer is yes, the government ought not to wait a minute before dissolving the Committee today. It shows the Committee members have no idea of what their functions are. In hosting world meets, some countries have used the opportunity to up- date their facilities and provide new stadia.
THIS cannot happen in Nigeria where opportunists see it as golden chance to rip the nation of its hard earned money. Yet the footballers or sportsmen who work hard for the money, are not paid their allowances. Some footballers even bribe to get half of their allowances during or after international competitions.

THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER joins others to praise the courage of President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua and urge him to continue in the drive for transparency. He may lack the speed but one day, we will get to the promised land. He should not hesitate to show erring officers the way out. He should not wait for the dissolution of the LOC. He should set the ball rolling by sacking the Committee now.

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