Sports

OLYMPIC GAMES: NO TRANSPARENCY IN INTERVENTION FUNDS – NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO FG

Published

2 years ago

May 24, 2024

Joel Ajayi

The 10th National Assembly has raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the allocation of intervention funds for the 2024 Olympic Games to the Ministry of Sports Development.

The Nigeria Government doled out billions of naira each time the country participated in the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games.

The Chairman House Committee on Sports, Hon. Ekene Adams frowned at the situation where most Sports Federation sponsored their athletes to qualify for Olympic Games without Ministry’s support but the Sports Ministry receives money from the government on behalf of the sports federations once they have qualified.

He said, “80% of the National Sports Federation don’t get a dime from the funds allocated for them in the budget in each calendar year.”

He therefore advised the Federal Government to ensure that the intervention funds are scrutinised by the National Assembly before they are passed.

“The Bola Ahmed Tinubu led government prioritised transparency and accountability in allocation of funds and the intervention funds for the Olympic Games should follow the same procedure by involving the National Assembly in the scrutiny of the funds. This will ensure that the athletes, coaches and Presidents of the Federations benefit from the funds.

“Transparency in the process is crucial to ensure that the funds are used effectively and efficiently for the development of Sports in Nigeria. Without proper oversight, there is a risk they the funds could be mismanaged or misappropriated leading to waste of resources and missed opportunity to support the dedicated Nigerian athletes who put the country’s name on the global map.”

He further said, “For instance, foreign athletes who spent their hard-earned money on flight to and fro Ghana for African Games have not received the refund, also, coaches and many other athletes have not received their monetary prize for medals won at the All African Games in Ghana.

“The delay in settlement of these funds will further dampen the spirits of the athletes which in turn may affect Nigeria’s performance at the Olympics.

“We must do everything to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renewed Hope agenda.

The President has been doing everything in making sure that Nigeria is placed among the best in the world and the 10th National Assembly shares same with the President. Therefore, the struggle to place the country among the best should not be left to the Presidency alone.”

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Sports

Agada Shines with Brace as Orijent Beat Karlovac 2-0

Published

9 hours ago

October 24, 2026

The Gleamer

Nigerian forward Charles Adah Agada scored twice as HNK Orijent secured a 2-0 away victory over Karlovac 1919 in the Croatian SuperSport Prva NL on Saturday.

Orijent produced an impressive performance at the Branko Čavlović-Čavlek Stadium in Karlovac to claim all three points in the league encounter.

Agada, a former Mavlon FC of Lagos attacker, was the standout performer, finding the net twice to help the visitors overcome their hosts and strengthen their position in the league campaign.
Orijent went into the half-time break with a 1-0 advantage before extending their lead in the second half.

The Nigerian striker completed his brace with the goal that made it 2-0 in the 57th minute.
Karlovac were unable to find a response as Orijent held on to their advantage to secure victory away from home.

The result represents an important boost for Orijent, who will look to build on the performance in their subsequent league fixtures.

For Agada, the brace underlines his value to the team as Orijent continue their campaign in Croatia’s second-tier football competition.

He has built an important role on loan at the club and has successfully established himself as a regular fixture in their lineup, appearing in all 8 league matches so far this season.

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