Dalung assures of all-inclusive sports federations’ elections

Dalung, according to a statement signed by Nneka Ikem-Anibeze,
the Special Assistant (Media) to the minister, gave the assurance while defending the ministry’s 2017 Budget at the National Assembly.

He said a summit of federation presidents would hold very soon to drive the sector and redirect energy towards grassroots sports.

“Government through the ministry will be neutral in the forthcoming federation elections and there will be no Federal Government nominees.

“We however insist that those with the interest of driving sports without total dependence on government’s funds should contest.

“We want to build strong and robust federations and reinvigorate them for better performances.

“That informed our basis for taking steps to reorganise the federations to be more effective,’’ the minister said.

He however said government was also aware of the challenges the federations have over funding.

“Unless discipline is restored in the federations, prudence and effective management of resources will continue to have problems.

“Government alone will not fund sports. So, we need federations to augment whatever they receive from the ministry by raising sponsorship and partnerships with the private sector,’’ Dalung said.

He insisted that if there was no credibility in the running of the federations, the private sector operators would not invest in sports in the country.

Dalung stated that the need to restore confidence in Nigerian sports and the federations needed to start with an all-inclusive process in the forthcoming elections.