NOC Applauds Dalung over Federation Guideline Amendment
Less than a week in what looks like a showdown between NOC and the Ministry of Youth and Sports over the guidelines released for the forth coming election…
Less than a week in what looks like a showdown between Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports over the guidelines released for the forth coming election into all the sports federations, both bodies have buried the hatchet to give way for a peaceful elections.
The result was after the truce meeting held in Abuja between the Executive committee of NOC and the Sports Ministry team led by the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung in his office.
According to the Public Relations Officer of NOC, Tony Ubani, “the Olympic body in the country applauded Sports Minister for his love, understanding and demonstration of Olympic Values after agreeing to amend the guidelines for the 2017 Federation election guidelines,” he stated lastnight.
Before the latest a dark cloud of uncertainty had hovered over Nigerian sports after the Sports Ministry released Guidelines to the Federation Elections which the NOC said was at variance with Olympic Charter as well as with the International Federations(IFs).
Two contentious provisions: “the issue of eligibility as contained in the guidelines that did not conform with the Olympic Charter, that seek to bar some Nigerians in the international federations from seeking office were expunged after the Minister met with NOC bigwigs and Federation Presidents on Friday.
NOC President and member of International Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel said that he and his members were lost in admiration of Sports Minister’s great courage and moral values by dropping the contentious provisions that were not in line with the IOC and IFs statutes.
‘’All the stakeholders applaud the Sports Minister for his handling of the disagreement and resolving it amicably. This shows that he is a true democrat, a lawyer who understands the implications of disobeying rules and he has demonstrated his undying love for Nigerian sports’’, Gumel said.
After mutually agreeing to remove the offending provisions and allowing the Federations constitutions to prevail, Sports Minister Dalung said, ‘’ We decided to make amendments to some of the guidelines after wide consultations with the stakeholders in the industry to conform with the IOC Charter and International best practices’’.
The Minister also said that ‘’we also resolved that the NOC should be actively involved in driving the process and look at areas that can be adjusted in the interest of democracy’’.
Those who met with the Sports Minister to review the offending provisions include; NOC President, Gumel, second VP, Chief Fatai Williams( Swimming ), Scribe Tunde Popoola, Edward Fom(Rugby), Daniel Igali(Wrestling), Dauda Yussuf(Handball), Dr Lanre Glover(Triathlon) and George Ashiru(Taekwondo).
In a related development, the Sports ministry has tentatively fixed the National Sports Federation elections to hold on 30th of May, 2017.
The amended guidelines released at the weekend and cosigned by the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Abdulrasaq Salau and the Scribe of NOC Popoola state that a Congress for the election of Zonal Representatives, Vice Presidents and National Federations Presidents will also hold same day in Abuja.
The National Federations have until April 27, 2017 to set up their electoral committees while the sale of nomination forms begins on May 2. Deadline for submission of forms is May 9, 2017.
Hearing of Petitions and Appeals Cases will hold from 1-10 June, 2017 while Bye- Elections arising from Petitions and Appeals for Zonal and National Elections come up on June 13, 2017.
Inauguration of the National Sports Federation Boards holds on 27 June, 2017.