Featured

SPORTS MINISTER’S BOLD PERSPECTIVES ON SPORTS

Published

1 year ago

August 19, 2024

FELICIA OBY NWOKORIE

The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan Enoh, who completes one year in office this August, has given a glimpse of his thoughts for better sports outings in future. This is germane, considering the pains expressed by Nigerians who had hoped and yearned for medals at the just concluded Olympics.

Nigerians were quick to recall the previous epic achievements of Nigeria in international outings such as athletics, boxing, football, wrestling, weightlifting etc, climaxed with two gold medals in Atlanta 96. Sports has always proved a panacea to stress situations and has brought enormous joy to Nigerians who relish our youths standing on the podium of Honour, our flag fluttering in the wind and having our National Anthem rendered.

Admitting that Nigeria should have done better, he gave bold indication of going the whole hog to find the causes of the poor performance of the athletes and promised that he would take a critical look at the configuration of the professional and operational systems that produce the sportsmen and women for Nigeria.

In an outstanding act of courage and responsibility, the Hon Minister admitted and apologized that the performances of our athletes were below expectation. He pleaded with sports loving Nigerians to give him time to restructure sports and to dispassionately X-ray the immediate and long time actions that affected the performances of the athletes.

The Hon Minister though not being a “sports professional” as some people say, he fully understands that sporting activities are purely technical. He knows too that for any administrator to be credited as expected, he needs time to really understand the most challenging areas that require urgent concentration, as well as have due support from stakeholders to enable him succeed. He has put his heart and soul in this and he is evidently succeeding.

Happily the Hon Minister is an astute, result-oriented administrator, and has pronounced his commitment to a reinvigorated sports sector. In that regard, one of the areas the Minister and the management of the Sports Sector should draw advantage from is the cesspool of welcome ideas of the Sports Writers Association (SWAN) which should be distilled.

Stakeholders and sports veterans should embrace the eagerness of the Hon Minister, and make contributions and suggestions that will help to change the negative assertions following the outing in Paris 2024 to a positive assertion that will lead to better performance which can supersede that of the glorious event of 1996.

Only a coalescing of honest postulations by formidable team players and stakeholders at a time like this can affect positive changes in the development of sports as well as correct the shortcomings or irregularities that hinder progress, before the commencement of next championship. The Hon Minister as usual, is open to all well meaning contributions.

On the budget of N12 billion attributed to the Olympics, the reactions are basically reactionary and have not actually been holistic, not reckoning with all aspects of the expenditure cost lines. Under the strict watch of the Minister, Nigeria had a glorious outing that showcased 88 athletes who indeed represented the country. Desirous as medals are, people should not lose sight of the financial implications of this money.

Even though no medal was brought to the country, not a single athlete has complained of not being paid his/her allowances as deserved, which is way ahead of what used to happen in the past. Commendably, none of the athletes got stranded or became unable to depart safely to their various destinations, as used to obtain in the past.

The write ups and hard knocks from most Nigerians, especially the media, is commendable showing that they have their eyes daily on the update of sporting activities and that they mean well for Nigeria. Meanwhile the situation has exposed to the Hon. Minister, critical areas that require him and the SWAN to forge a closer relationship.

As the Minister approaches the critical bend of one year in office, and his Permanent Secretary barely five months, what they need now is activate seasoned sectoral inputs as nations of the world start earnestly to prepare their teams for the next Olympics. Four years is only a number and is already knocking at the doors. Please Let us not allow misdirection and possibly wrong advice from any quarters destabilize us.

As we look forward to preparing for the forthcoming event slated to hold in Los Angeles, all eyes should now be focused on the Federations and all the stakeholders to ensure that they do not dissipate their energies in distractive squabbles that could harm Nigeria’s overall sporting interest and fortunes.

Those criticizing the Hon Minister should take a look back, and give him plaudits for frugality and keen financial management. His tenure has not recorded what critics used to call sports jamborees. But Sen. Enoh since assumption of duty has occupied himself with paying off debts that were part of the causes of instability in the Federations.

Certainly under this present sports administration, Nigeria will overcome whatever militating circumstances that affected sports management in recent times. A trip around the Abiola National Stadium is an eye witness to ongoing projects that are part of the mandate of the Minister to get all the staff to be domiciled in the stadium for easy management of both the staff and infrastructure therein.

Finally, as the Honorable Minister braces to take tough ameliorative actions, let the voices of Nigerians be loudly raised on the Athletic Federation of Nigeria ( AFN), the Federation Presidents, NOC and all who are given mandates, to embrace synergy for better coordination for the nation’s sporting victory rather than exhibiting the present greater interest in qualification more than of the podium finish.

Please Nigerians, let us be more focused on the Paralympic athletes as their games become imminent and wish them good luck. Let us congratulate the Basketball Female team whose coach was honoured as the best Female Coach in Olympic Games. The Paralympic Games have always brought us Honours in the past and hopefully would do so again.

FELICIA OBY NWOKORIE
PRESS OFFICER, SPORTS DEVELOPMENT.

Share on Facebook

Featured

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.”

Share on Facebook