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Barr. Dalung, Architect Behind Democratization Of Sports Federations

Published

7 years ago

April 19, 2019

Barr. Dalung, Architect Behind Democratization Of Sports Federations

Joel Ajayi

Though many sports stakeholders may not like him, and his style of operation of the game of sports in the country but his fight to liberate the functionless federations when assumed office more than three years ago which led to the vibrancy of many sports federation, today remain extraordinary in the history of sports in the country.

Without any apology to anybody, many federations remained dormant before his coming, they are like toothless bulldog that can only bark but cannot bite.

Dalung who since his assumption into the office of the sports, Minister had catch the niche for himself across the world courtesy of his firmness and dodgedness toward the sports.

Know him for his distinguised dressed Khaki and Beret. When asked why he chooses the berets and Khaki he replied “The ‘Red Beret’ is my signature for a struggle of the common people. The ‘Khaki’ is just nothing but a very modest way of appreciating the magnitude of problems the ‘common people’ face in this country.

The Plateau-born, Dalung because of his hard work and passion has become the first ever longest serving minister of sports as no minister spent three and a half years in office as minister of sports.

Before the dawn of the present administration, the ex-minister was empowered to appoint members of the federations, which were regarded as political appointments.

Of a truth, the nomination of government officials into previous federations contributed to them being populated by “incompetent people.”

As part of the reforms, starting from the 2017 elections, Dalung said there will no longer be any government nominee on any federations board and he stood by his word.

“I believe the absence of government, nominees will help guard against incompetent people populating the boards.

“In the past, National Sports Federation Elections had been mired in controversies; with various accusations of manipulation and connivance by the then National Sports Commission. We have had cases of imposition of candidates and exclusion of the real stakeholders, thus calling into question the credibility of the entire process.

“This has resulted in many boards having the majority of their members with either little or no knowledge of the sport, or even any passion for it. In some cases, federations had been run as personal estates, with impunity and sometimes outright disregard for the Ministry,”

Indeed, the days of handpicking candidates or running a federation like an emperor are gone and the result is enormous.

Today, his struggle toward the democratization process of sports federations had improved performances in sports and as given confidence to the athletes as sports federations were liberated and now functioning effectively and efficiently.

Indeed, the measurement of any leader is the legitimacy and if Barr Solomon Dalung will be remembered for something in the ministry, his stewardship of democratization of sports, federation should be number one the numerous achievements.

Speaking in Abuja with Sports Online Publisher Association of Nigeria on Thursday evening Dalung narrated how he wish to be a minister for one day because of the democratization process than to be a minister for years without any changes.

Dalung expressed that the vibrancy of the Sports federations can’t be over emphasized.

According to him, in 2015 for the first time, the black African country which in Nigeria own Scrabble championship and we retained in 2017 and this year we are ready for the competition.

“I will not forget too soon the young Nigerians in Cannoing and Rowing who qualified for Olympics and even be the first African to be in semi final.

One of the achievement is the Female Hockey team they won Bronze for Nigeria after 14 years.

“Despite the crisis that beclouds the federation in the past two years. The success and achievements of the NBBF under this Board testifies to this fact. Apart from the upward movement in the ranking of our national teams – the D’Tigers becoming No 1 in Africa and 32 in the World Ranking and the Women’s Team, D’Tigress being No 2 in Africa and 19 in the World Ranking – the overall success of both teams have improved Nigeria’s image in the world and earned as much respect within the global Basketball family.

“Nigeria’s super falcon’s have done this country very great having extend and maintained their dominance in Africa’s Womenf football for a very long time.

“I will not forget the contribution of our female Wrestlers of course the wrestling federation is growing every fast.

“The parasports are amazing Nigerians, they are champions any time any day.

“The interesting on is the Cricket Federation, Nigeria is not a cricket playing nation, it’s not the game that is common in Nigeria but we put it non the world map we went to Nambia defeated the giant countries and qualified for world event for the first time.

“This kind of achievements with so many others will continue to remain fresh in my memory and make me happy as a minister of Youths and Sports.” He revealed.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

3 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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