The House of Representatives’ Committee on Sports and the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on Tuesday put on hold a planned investigative hearing after a closed-door meeting.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the hearing was to focus on doping in sports in Nigeria and the massive disqualification of Nigerian athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Lawrence Ayeni (APC-Osun), who is a member of the committee, had moved a motion on the need to investigate the activities of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
He had insisted then that this was necessary for the future of Nigerian athletes, and in the light of unpalatable events at the just-concluded Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The House had then agreed with him, and directed the committee to hold the investigative hearing.
But, Olumide Osoba, who is the committee’s Chairman, while explaining the reason behind the closed-door meeting with the Minister on Tuesday, said the committee needed every available information.
He said this was the only thing the committee needed to enable it do its work.
“Let me explain how the Parliament works. A motion was moved and a committee was directed to investigate what exactly happened.
“Now, the committee needs all the information to be able to do its work.
We have to look into the events that happened.“I have discussed with the ministry that we want the report of that committee it set up to look into this same matter with the report of our own committee,” Osoba said.
He stated that the committee members would go through both reports and call the ministry back, adding that the committee would then have a proper interactive session with the minister.
“We want to do a thorough job, and so we need all the information on what exactly transpired. We don’t want to do a rushed job that will not be thorough.”
The committee chairman added that the minister was expected to return after two weeks when enough information would have been supplied to members in order to do a thorough job.
“We don’t have all the information we need, and we will not start an interactive session without the needed information.
We don’t want to do a shoddy job,” he said.Speaking also, Ayeni said that Tuesday’s event was like an emergency meeting being called without members having the requisite Knowledge he added that members would have prepared themselves if they had the needed knowledge prior to the closed-door meeting.
“Not all the members are around, and that is why we decided that we have to shift the meeting to another day. So, I can not say precisely what the minister is here for.”(NAN)
