BY JOE APU
VETERAN basketball coach, Oliver Babatunde Johnson has expressed fears that the works of the newly inaugurated ministerial committee on sports reforms in Nigeria maybe one in futility if government remains lackadaisical about its report and recommendations.
Coach Johnson who administered basketball as the first secretary of the body in Nigeria while speaking on the
constitution of the committee expressed reservations given the fate of other such bodies in the past.
“I am convinced that the constitution of the members of the committee on sports reforms by the sports minister is made up of people of integrity and is sound minds that can work for the development of sports in Nigeria.
“My only worry is that there have been several bodies set up in the past but nothing has come out of the papers they submitted to government because most times, it is not favourable to government officials.
“This time around, it would be necessary for the committee to be given the powers to make public their recommendations so that it is not swept under the carpet like others. If its recommendations are in the public domain, then it would serve as a reminder to government that there’s job to be done.”
The American who is a staff of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria told Daily Sunsport that government should create the enabling environment for sports to thrive by sticking to their words.
