The task before FCT Minister

Plus how Blessing Onuh, Alim destroyed sports

Sports management under the leadership of Bala Mohammed by extension Blessing Onuh and Musa Alim can be described as a sorry state as the above mentioned, had paid little or no attention to what brings joy, wealth and fame to the people. Oghenemaro Onokpegu writes.

We were meant to understand that women are the best managers when it comes to managing the homes and resources and also by extension; they are good at managing activities in the office.

Blessing Onuh and Alim Musa

Not many would forget so soon, late Dora Akunyli who was exceptional in her field. She excelled so well at the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC that she was made a minister, where she also excelled. Her exploits made President Goodluck Jonathan to give opportunities to more women which the ministers also emulated by giving women opportunity to serve under their agencies and departments they held.

Bala Mohammed, on his part gave Blessing Onuh, who incidentally is the daughter of the Senate President, David Mark, the opportunity to head the Social Development Secretariat which also has sports under it with Musa Alim, as director of Sports.

It is on record that ever since former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Lulu left the FCT Sports ministry as director, sports has been a shadow of itself. It became worse when Onuh took over as the Social Development Secretariat and Alim as director of Sports.

The ever vibrant FCT Queen Football Club disappeared into thin air and today it has been a forgotten issue. Under Blessing, the girls who are footballers turned to “prostitutes” asking men out in order to survive. Some years ago, our correspondent, out of his good gesture supplied the girls with foodstuff and money to discourage them for being lured by men.

Investigation carried out then showed that their money was being pocketed by the duo of Onuh and Alim with the involvement of the minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide. It took the efforts of the deputy director of sports, who incidentally is a board member of the NFF, Dilichukwu Onyedinma for the team to survive in the women elite league that year.

Today, FCT Queen FC is nowhere as the girls have all left for other clubs in other states while some of them have been frustrated to abandon footballing and take up other jobs.

It would be recalled that the FCT Queens had a bad outing at the National Sports Festival, NSF in Lagos. The poor performance was blamed on alleged embezzlement of fund by the Social Development Secretary, Blessing Onuh.

Onuh’s refusal to release the money budgeted for the NSF resulted in poor preparation for the girls and low moral amongst the participants.

We also gathered then from a reliable source in the Secretariat that the Secretary, who is the daughter of Senate president, Senator David Mark diverted vehicles and money meant for the FCT Team for her husband’s political campaign, who was vying for chairmanship position in his local government then.

As a result of that, the FCT Team had to travel with public transport to Lagos, thereby putting financial strain on members of the contingent who were poorly mobilised for the sports fiesta. Besides, they had to hire buses to enable them shuttle between their hotels and various venues of the event.

It was also alleged that some of the girls had to resort to soliciting sex for money with a view to surviving the hard times during the NSF in Lagos. We also gathered that the director of sports, Mohammed Alim, who is over-due for retirement, has been under fire from sports’ stakeholders over payment of salaries and allowances for the Queens as well as sports development in the territory.

It would be recalled that Alim has come under the spotlight of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, FCT Chapter over accusations of under-performance as director of sports, as well as the Social Development Secretary. It took serious pressure from the sports writers for the director of sports and the Secretary to inaugurate the executives of the various sporting association. On the inauguration day, Onuh promised the associations N500,000 each to kickstart their activities but up till date, no dime has been given to any association hence nothing is happening.

A staff in the FCT Administration who confided in our correspondent alleged that Onuh, alongside the minister are delaying the payment in order to pocket the money when leaving office.

All efforts to get the reactions of the secretary of the Social Development Secretariat on the allegations proved abortive as she refused to reply the letter sent to her by our sister publication.

Meanwhile, during Onuh’s tenure, nothing could be pointed at as her achievement in sports. The Old Parade Ground has become an abandoned edifice, as it has been converted for private use by aerobic trainers.

While other states are preparing seriously for the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Calabar, Cross River State, nothing is happening in the FCT. We gathered that most of the athletes discovered by the coaches have all ‘decamped’ to other serious states.

The director of sports, who likes doing everything by himself without the assistance of his staff, claimed that there was nothing wrong if athletes leave the FCT for other states. According to him, “Our policy is not to stop any athlete from going for greener pastures. As more are leaving, more are being produced.”

There is no doubt that sports has suffered serious setback under the Bala Mohammed’s administration. We also gathered from a reliable source in the FCTA that the ministry was planning to replace the Old Parade Ground, OPG with a hotel.

It took the intervention of SWAN and the users of the OPG before the minister rescind his decision. In fact, it was when the minister of state, Akinjide was denied exit out of the OPG when she came to inspect the “proposed hotel site” that the users of the OPG blocked her hence she rescinded her decision and also passed the message to the minister.

It was also gathered that the Area 3 playground which has become the hub of football activities which has seen many football clubs fighting over the usage was also been planned to be demolished. Information has it that the FCTA was planning to cut off part of the pitch for construction of road.

Sports has suffered a lot, as no sporting arena was built, the one started have been abandoned while most of the pitches and playgrounds have been converted to gardens. The sides of the bridge are now being converted to pitches and playground where children exercise.

Alim claimed that in each area council, sporting facilities are being built in Kuje, Bwari, Kwali, Orozo and Kwali but have since been abandoned. Contractors are taken to site whenever they discovered that journalists or officials of the FCTA want to visit. The director claimed that they don’t have access to funds hence the delay.

The annoying aspect is that when the long-serving secretary of the FCT Football Association was ill, he was abandoned in the hospital to cater for himself. It took the intervention of friends and well-wishers for him to be catered for and his hospital bills paid.

Alim claimed that the sports ministry was responsible for the payment but the secretary who is now hale and hearty disclosed that he took care of his bills alone.

It would be recalled that the whereabouts of the sum of N13 million meant for gold winning U-13 boys is still unknown as Alim claimed that the money is not meant for the boys nor meant to be spent. He claimed that he has used the money for flight bookings, visas and other travelling arrangements for the next U-13 boys to travel, who eventually did not.

As usual Onuh refused to comment as we gathered that Alim was retained as director of sports, despite the fact that he has passed his retirement age, to do the “dirty jobs” both for the Social Development and the FCTA.

Some analysts are worried that the FCTA, which is supposed to take the lead in sports is lacking behind. They are more concerned about the new people that will be saddled with the responsibility.

Austin Okodua advocates that people like Onuh, Alim and others should not be allowed to handle any office in the country because they have disappointed. “They were more interested in embezzling money rather than develop the sporting facilities in the territory and we want people who will be willing to give us sporting facilities in every district in order to help discover the young and hidden talented athletes in the FCT.”

There is no doubt that the incoming minister and his team has a daunting task before him. He has a lot to do in the territory especially the one that concerns sports. His ability to address the many challenges facing sports in the territory will determine whether he will be loved by the FCT residents or not because the people will want attention to be given to the sector that gives them joy, fitness, fame and wealth.