Paris Olympics: CSOs Pass Vote of Confidence on the Minister of Sports Development – Sen. John Owan Enoh

The responsibility of the Ministry of Sports Development in our present circumstances is to provide a supervisory role as well as logistics for the prosecution of international sports competition that Nigeria is engaged in such as the just concluded Olympics.

In a press statement made available to journalists in Abuja by an amalgam of civil society groups, Media Practitioners for Development, MPD and Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Peace, Good Governance, Equity and Justice, Engr Johnson Eze and Comrade James Okoronkwo, the duo stated that after a fair assessment of the performance of the Minister Sen John Owan Enoh with respect to the recently concluded Olympics saying “that unlike previous international sporting engagement where our athletes were engaged in orgies of shame”.

Continuing the group stated that even though no medals were won regrettably, the Minister of Sports was on top of his leadership of the Ministry of sports development, right from the systematic engagement with all the sporting federations to the various onshore and offshore training camps.

The group recounted that on assumption of office exactly 12 months ago Sen Owan Enoh the Minister of Sports Development was confronted with prosecution of 4 major international competitions namely: (1)African Cup of Nations, AFCON, the most prestigious football competition in Africa. (2)All African Games (3) The Olympics (4) The Paralympics Games.

Three of these have been prosecuted. In the last African Cup of Nations prior to the Minister’s assumption of office, our national team did not proceed beyond the group stage. But under the sterling leadership of the incumbent Minister of Sports, the Nigerian Team played Finals due to the sterling, transparent and selfless leadership provided by the Minister. Continuing his winning streak at the All African Games where Team Nigeria came second in the medals table with very significant breakthroughs.

The Amalgamation of Civil Society group stated that unbiased stakeholders have acknowledged and lauded the transparent leadership so far provided in the Sports Development Ministry, saying that this is very significant and crucial in view of the hue and cry of the so called abysmal performance of the Nigerian Paris Olympics contingent. Finally, it must be noted that the fact that Nigeria did not win medals in the Paris Olympics does not mean that we lost it all.

For instance that a child did not come first, second or third in an exam does not make his grade irrelevant. What is important is to build on the good foundation laid, lessons learnt and exposure acquired. The group expressed optimism that Nigeria will surely get there when the athletes and the stakeholders join hands with the Minister who thus far has continued to restore back trust and confidence to a beleaguered sector.

The groups call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ignore the malicious campaign of calumny against the Minister of Sports, Sen John Ewan Enoh, over the outcome of the parish Olympics.