Minister can’t declare state of emergency in sports

Minister can’t declare state of emergency in sports—Ka’Oje

Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youth and Sports

A former Minister of Sports, Bala Ka’Oje, has said that the incumbent Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has no right to declare `state of emergency’ in the sector.

Ka’Oje spoke in Abuja on Thursday following a recent comment by Dalung that he would declare a state of emergency in the sports sector.

Team Nigeria’s poor outing at the Rio 2016 Olympics had necessitated the minister’s comment after the country won only football bronze at the Games as against the five medal he promised.

Ka’Oje said that the minister declaring state of emergency in sports meant that he had enough money to pump into the sector and turn it around without necessarily involving President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, only the president has the authority to declare state of emergency in any sector of the economy since he alone can approve the funds needed for any serious transformation.

“It is good to declare a state of emergency but is the minister the president of the country; it’s only the president that has the right to do that in any sector he likes for it to make meaning.

“This is because only the president know where and how to get funding to achieve the desired result of the declaration of emergency in that sector.

“So, if a minister declares a state of emergency, where will he get the money to fund the declaration apart from the normal budgetary provision he gets annually.

“We know that the major ingredient in sports development is funding,’’ Ka’Oje said.

He urged the minister to think of returning the National Sports Commission (NSC) and ensuring that a law backing its establishment was passed in the National Assembly.

The former minister noted that government and private individuals would be willing and convinced to invest their money in sports when they know that there were laws backing NSC.

Comments

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg

FG berates US congressman over comment

Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture Photo: Femi Ipaye/PM News The Federal Government has described as sadly out of tune with reality the published letter from US Congressman Tom Marino to Secretary of State John Kerry, asking the US to withhold security assistance to Nigeria on the strength of some imaginary infraction by the Buhari Administration. In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Congressman Marino was poorly informed about the issues he commented on, wondering why he did not take the pains to get first hand information from the US Embassy in Nigeria or any other credible source before engaging in what is nothing but a ‘propaganda of his own imagination’. The Minister said by asking the US to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria based on a faulty premise, the Congressman has demonstrated a poor understanding of global security issues. ”Insecurity anywhere i

Aubameyang leads Gabon to Nations Cup

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the cast for Gabon as the hosts became the first team to name their final 2017 Africa Cup of Nations squad. The team captain and Borussia Dortmund star will lead the home players out for the opening game of the tournament against debutants Guinea-Bissau on 14 January in Libreville. Gabon have also named Sunderland midfielder Didier Ndong despite the player being left out of November’s World Cup qualifier in Mali. Ndong was in the capital city Libreville but failed to turn up for international duty ahead of the Mali game last month, forcing the Gabonese Football Federation [Fegafoot] to send him back to England. But a remorseful Ndong, who held clear-the-air talks with Fegafoot has been included in a 23-man Panthers squad. Other names to make the final party include Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina, Bruno Ecuélé Manga of Cardiff City and China-based striker Malick Evouna. Gabon coach José Antonio Camacho included three do

Global Naija Info

Search This Blog