The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, FCT chapter has expressed disgust at the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, appears not to be interested in investigating the diversion of N60 million released by his predecessor for the foreign trip of the victorious U-13 boys.
SWAN said it is totally dissatisfied with the current state of sports in the territory which it maintained is necessitated by outright poor leadership in the sports council.
In a statement by its Secretary, Martins Odiete, FCT SWAN stressed that the minister must demonstrate his readiness to redress the ugly situation in FCT sports by first of all look into the whereabouts of the money released by his predecessor for the failed trip.
Aside that, SWAN also urges the minister to investigate the whereabouts of the N500,000 approved as takeoff grants to each of the 20 sporting Associations in FCT when they were inaugurated in 2013 as they never got to the money.
“We are really not happy that young boys who worked so hard to win a championship for the Territory and were promised to go on tour abroad were treated this way. This has a way of discouraging other youths from giving their best for the Territory in the future.
“Again, look at the takeoff grant of N500, 000 that was promised each of the sporting association. Nobody said anything about the money again after it was pronounced and the associations were left to fund for themselves. No wonder they are almost all dead,” FCT SWAN laments.
The Sports Writers argued that unresolved issues like the aforementioned are the reasons activities in the FCT sports have been at their lowest level.
The association therefore, vowed to push ahead until the minister make moves to redress all the issues raised.
However, SWAN once again expressed confidence in the ability of the FCT Minister to put sports in the territory on the right track while also promising to assist the minister in achieving his goals in that regard.
