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Sports Stakeholders blame Perm. Sec, Ogun state Sports Ministry for the comatose state of football in the state
Sports stakeholders in Ogun state have accused the permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Youth and Sports, Engr. Olayiwola Abiodun for absolutely responsible for the sorry state of sports in the state.
Some of the stakeholders who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity noted that sporting activities have been put on hold in the state capital, Abeokuta as a result of the various directives issued by the Permanent Secretary
“Sporting activities had been put on hold in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital until further notice as a result of the closure of the main bowl of MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta, and the only training pitch constructed to serve as a supporting pitch for numerous sporting activities engaged on by young men and women within and outside the State capital. The turf of the main bowl is so unkempt, undulating with multi-colour grass, and this is due to the nonchalant behavior of the stadium management. The grass had been left for years without wetting, therefore, preventing the normal green healthy posture of a standard football field.
“It is pertinent to recall that because of LMC ban on the MKO Abiola International Stadium Abeokuta as a result of mismanagement of the field. Afterward, the pitch was closed and the main bowl was locked mainly to allow for the wetting of the grass and re-planting of the bald area of the pitch. It is against this backdrop that all activities were switched to the only training pitch constructed to serve the main bowl.
“Unfortunately, by 28th July 2022, the stadium authority spare headed by one Mr. Yinka Oyelumade (technical officer) colluded with the Permanent Secretary to lock up the training pitch arguing that there is a need to re-grass the affected area of the field. And the said area was badly affected because of the non-wetting of the field. The last time the pitch had any sort of wetting was early 2021, only 5 (five) sprinklers towards the far side of the pitch out of over 20 (twenty) were observed functioning while all others were not sprinkling water or working.
“We gathered that the directive by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr. Oluwadare Kehinde not to totally close the sporting activities within the stadium complex, a directive supported by the stadium Manager, Alhaji Bello was not honoured by the Permanent Secretary who gave a counter directive to Mr. Oyelumade the stadium technical officer to lock up both the Mainbowl and the training pitch at the same time.
Further investigation revealed that the Perm. Sec is plotting to approve the application of Mr. Oyelumade who is expected to retire by the 23rd of September, 2022 for the role of a contractor so as to continue in office. A decision that is generating lots of argument among the staff of the stadium who see it as totally alien to them, more so that the said man had not added any value to the management of the stadium except for some alleged dubious acts like a collection of money from various Clubs without remitting same into the coffers of the government, vandalising and catering away of Stadium properties.
“We, therefore, call on the state government to intercede on the matter for the following reasons:
Safe our Sporting activities in the state capital.
Prevent unnecessary breach of procedural structure within the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Protect the reserved authority of the Commissioner for Youth and Sports.
Prevent evil machinations of individuals from overriding the sporting normalcy of the state capital.
Restore the required respect deserved for Gateway United Football Club.
Open the Stadium pitch for normal sporting activities as projected by the State government when constructing the sporting arena.
This is pertinent in order to prevent the envisaged chaos that both the PS and the technical officer of the stadium are perpetrating within the Arena,” The stakeholders concluded.
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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold
Joel Ajayi
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.
The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.
Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.
According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.
“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.
“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”
The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.
Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.
“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.
Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.
Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.
He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.
Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.
He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.
To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.
In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization
Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.
Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.
“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.
In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee
is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.
The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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