The Director-Common of the Nationwide Institute for Sports activities (NIS), Comrade Philip Shuaibu, has known as for an investigation into the actions of previous Ministers of Sports activities over what he described because the deliberate neglect and mismanagement of the institute regardless of years of great budgetary allocations from the Federal Authorities.
Talking on the present state of the institute, the previous Deputy Governor of Edo State accused successive administrations of deliberately crippling the NIS for private and political acquire.
“It was deliberate by the ministry to destroy the NIS for his or her egocentric curiosity,” Shuaibu acknowledged.
He notably decried the misuse of amenities designed for athlete growth — together with the Athlete Growth Centre, commissioned by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007.
“That construction was meant to camp Nigerian athletes, not for hire or private housing,” he stated.
“But, individuals who don’t have anything to do with sports activities reside there, and somebody is gathering cash from it. Ministers upon ministers have come, and the power continues to be not getting used for its meant function.”
Shuaibu, who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reform and revive the institute, urged the Nationwide Meeting to summon all previous Sports activities Ministers from 1999 to this point for questioning over their roles within the decline of the NIS.
“The Nationwide Institute for Sports activities is meant to be the engine room for producing athletes, coaches, and sports activities scientists. As a substitute, it was grounded by those that ought to have strengthened it,” he added.
Established in 1974 by then Head of State, Common Yakubu Gowon, the NIS was created as a parastatal below the Federal Ministry of Sports activities to coach coaches, sports activities managers, and scientists, and to conduct analysis geared toward advancing Nigeria’s sporting excellence.
