The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, on Tuesday in Abuja warned national sports federations that the days of incurring the wrath of international sports bodies are over.
Dalung sounded the warning while receiving the report of the Ministerial Investigative Committee on Doping Allegations, saying the Youths and Sports Development Ministry would no longer condone such an act.
The minister said the federal government, as the major financier of sports in the country, would no longer take the back seat in matters concerning sports administration and management.
“Sports federations should desist from provoking international sports bodies into issuing threats of sanctions on Nigeria in the name of violation of their statutes when there are issues to be addressed.
“Government cannot be a spectator in its own show. Every year, government commits billions of Naira to sports development.
“It is a known fact that government finances 85 to 90 per cent of sports activities in Nigeria.
“Since this is the case, government will continue to intervene in issues of sports management and administration when the need arises,” Dalung said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the minister had on March 27 inaugurated a Ministerial Investigative Committee to look into allegations of doping and cover-up.
The allegations were about happenings within the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s and revolving around Olamide George, the federation’s Vice-President, and an athlete, Sade Abugan.
NAN reports that George was subsequently suspended from all athletics-related activities pending completion of investigation into allegations of drugs violation levelled against him.
This had been as a result of a petition to athletics world body IAAF and the World Anti-Doping Agency by Tafida Gadzama, a member of the AFN board.
Gadzama alleged that the doping violations took place during the 2010 Commonwealth Games at New Delhi in India.
Dalung, after receiving the report, thanked the committee for a rigorous and thorough job in spite of the tight schedule of its members.