Letter to Ndanusa

First and foremost, we wish to appreciate God Almighty, for the multitude of His tender mercies, that has enabled us witness the end of the year 2009 and has brought us to our nation’s golden jubilee year - 2010. We must also thank God, for all that we experienced in sports, during this past decade - especially in 2009. It would have been worse Mr. Minister. How for instance, would you and your lieutenants be feeling this moment if this great nation did not qualify for the forth-coming FIFA World Cup finals?

Of course, our participation in other sporting events like Basketball, Athletics, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball,

e.t.c. were not in any way impressive. All the same, I believe that you should appreciate God in your special way. Please remember that our elders say “when a child appreciates an elder for what that elder does for him, the child will certainly receive more.” It is very wise to appreciate God.

I have good news for you Minister, and this is one of the reasons why I congratulated you earlier on. This is your time to be on that seat and it is the One who have put you there, who can unseat you. No one else. I have mentioned severally in this column, that authorities that exist are appointed divinely and this is incontrovertibly true, whether we like it or not. Those in authority must however understand the fact that the time allocated to them to occupy that seat of leadership is a loan and not their own. Somehow, someday, an account of how that loan was utilized will be given. This is why it is very important for us as human beings to develop the habit of numbering our days and apply our hearts to wisdom. We must be wise because wisdom is the principal thing.

This is the gist of this message to you. And it is that there is the need for you to take stock of the time (loan) you have spent so far as the Minister of this massively blessed nation, in order for you to apply your heart to wisdom, as regards sports development in Nigeria.

Sports and development Minister, permit me for the purpose of emphasis, and just in case you did not read this column last week, repeat something I believe is very informative. Development, we are made to believe, is the process of changing and becoming larger, stronger or more impressive, successful or advanced, or causing somebody or something to change positively and consistently. It may therefore be appropriate, to imply that sports development is the process of making sports - in all its ramifications, become larger, stronger and more impressive, successful, advanced and of course, make it go through the necessary positive changes, in a very consistent manner. No matter how pedestrian or mundane this issue may be viewed, sports development is the sine qua non for this great nation’s relevance in national and international sports, as we embark on the journey into this next decade and beyond. No more, no less.

Here lies the major challenge for you. Minister. I read the write-ups from your desk every week and wish to let you know that the 12th of December, 2009 and 2nd January, 2010 editions are very instructive, informative and challenging to me. You inter-alia, wrote in the 2nd January, 2010 edition and I quote, that “... it is my resolve (the minister’s resolve) to ensure I exhaust all the tenets of the National Sports Policy on this page. This policy is not Ndanusa’s Sports policy. It is National Sports policy for all Nigerians. This policy involves all of us, you and me ...this has become a platform to make you part of this government ... I will however want to let you have a full grasp of it ...”

National Sports Policy

I do not yet have a full grasp of the National Sports Policy, but I agree absolutely that the policy involves all of us - all Nigerians, since it is a policy, I believe, conceptualized for all Nigerians by Nigerians, in Nigeria. You want us to be part of your administration? No problems, I volunteer in order to contribute my own quota to sports development spiritually, materially, technically and I make bold to say, professionally.

Professionally in terms of conforming to the standards of the skills, competence and character, normally expected of patriots, who are ready to serve this great nation, with love and strength and faith, so that the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain. If that is your clarion call, then, you have an ally, who however is not ready to compromise the highly esteemed ethics of this profession.

Can this or will this hinder my activities as a watch dog. No!!! Will I be able to cope with the level of corruption, age - falsification, greed, violence, demonic covenants,

winning at all costs, moral decadence, neglect and insensitivity to the well-being of sports person in Nigeria? Well, it is not going to be by my powers, because it is not of him who runs or of him who wants to win, but by the awesome mercy of God.

Education and sports

I am particularly interested in the aspect of the National Sports Policy (NSP), that deals with EDUCATION and SPORTS. The NSP states in part that “ ... sports is an integral part of the formal system of education. It is essential for the total development of an individual ... in order to have an all-round development of the youth, sports shall be offered as compulsory subjects at the Nursery, primary and Secondary school levels... “ It seems the NSP agrees with my view that this great nation needs to establish a functional and effective culture of excellent sports development, because it is when sports has formidable foundations, that the higher levels will flourish.

Minister, let me conclude this first part of my message by submitting that translating the NSP into action will require a team of “sports pyramid” builders - committed, focused and disciplined, with you as the team captain. But the “skipo” must be focused also, otherwise the whole team goes astray. Meanwhile, there are rumours that the “skipo’s” eyes (not heart I believe) are set on the Nigeria Olympics Committee’s (NOC’s) leadership. With all due respect, it is not likely that you will be able to look into two bottles at the same time, successfully. Can anyone do that?