ABUJA – Deji Adeyanju, a rights activist, has urged President Tinubu to fire the Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh, following Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The call for the Minister’s sack came after a string of controversies and disqualifications marred Team Nigeria’s participation in the Olympics, including the unregistration of Favour Ofilli for the 100m event due to administrative negligence, disqualification of the 4x100m relay team, and other athlete eligibility issues.
Adeyanju blamed the Minister’s incompetence and lack of preparation for the team’s poor performance, citing the abandonment of sports facilities across the country and failure to implement the National Sports Industry Policy.
The activist also highlighted the neglect of athlete welfare, citing instances of inadequate equipment and poor treatment of athletes, including the D’Tigress team, who were forced to travel eight hours by road for their first match.
In a statement on Monday, Adeyanju urged President Tinubu to take immediate action to address the crisis in Nigerian sports, starting with the removal of the Sports Minister.
He said, “I write to express my outrage and disappointment at the woeful performance of Team Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This debacle is a direct result of the incompetence of Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, who has consistently showed a lack of preparation and unwillingness to learn from the experiences of those before him.
“Mr. President, I urge that you sack the sports minister. His incompetence has brought shame to our nation, and his continued presence will only exacerbate the decline of Nigerian sports.
“Furthermore, I urge you to initiate a probe into the ministry’s handling of the Olympics by directing the Permanent Secretary to submit a comprehensive list of everyone involved in the preparation and participation of Team Nigeria at the Olympics.”
Vanguard
