Leadership (Abuja)
Asuelimen Osasuyi
4 January 2009
Abuja — Dr. Amos Adamu - The Dinosaur, who sat on the sports empire for decades, is an apostle of government sponsorship of sports, who believes in the status-quo. A physical education philosopher, who also acquired vast knowledge in sports administration, he combines sports administration with politics: a quality he used so well to catapult himself into WAFU, CAF and FIFA.
As the then director general of the National Sports Commission, any time he sneezes, the whole country listens, because of his commanding influences both in government, the private sector and among sports stakeholders.
Adamu resisted the wind of change and rather became a crusader for those who studied sports administration to administer and develop sports. "If you are a lawyer, go to the court and defend people. If you are a soldier, your responsibility would be to defend Nigeria's territorial boundaries. As a clergyman, you can go to church to win souls for Christ and leave sports to professionals."
He was removed from being director-general when he challenged the federal government on the N37 billion fund for hosting the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup which the government slashed to N9.4 billion. He is now cooling himself in the office of the Head of Service. He depicts kindness and generousity. He means different thing to different people. He would be remembered most for organising the 8th All African Games, Abuja 2003."
Barr. Abdulrahman Hassan Gimba: He was sent to the National Sports Commission as sports minister with a mandate to reform and restructure the commission. An apostle of the rule of law and a firm believer in professionalism, Gimba's effort to effect the needed change met a stiff wall mounted by those he considered to be pseudo experts who have held Nigerian sports development to ransom.
He tried to exert power over the LOC for Nigeria 2009 by supervising its budget, to which he would be accountable, but was resisted by agents he allegedly called "enemies of sports development".
He became an enemy to notable sports administrators, stakeholders and the Senate Committee on Sports and Social Development who recommended his sack.
Gimba constituted a committee to put in place a blue print in sports and today the sports policy has become a reference point and a Bible for government and NSC.
He worked towards returning the sports commission to the federal Ministry of sports with NSC becoming a parastatal.
His undoing came when he recommended that Nigeria should pull out from hosting the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Gimba, a thorough politician and sports administrator believes in transparency and professionalism. He set the stage for the government to do away with pseudo experts in the commission. He was however consumed by the sharks in the deep waters of sports politics when he was sacked as sports minister.
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri - A lawyer, politician and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports: a man who handles sports matters belatedly, he sponsored a public hearing on the dismal performance of the Super Eagles, many months after the championship in Ghana.
The Committee gathered sponsored stakeholders who could not proffer solutions to the problems of Nigeria sports, but rather recommended that sports minister, Hassan Gimba, a man that had barely spent one year in office be sacked while shading those that have held sports administration to ransom for many decades.
Again, his belated approach to sports matters showed forth when he summoned the sacked minister to a meeting to know the reason why Nigeria pulled out from hosting the 2009 FIFA U-17 games.
This happened several weeks after the government had reversed its decisions and announced that the government will now host.
The meeting consumed the man he had for so long protected when the director general challenged the federal government on the budget for hosting the 2009 U-17 World Cup. Since then, nothing has been heard of the polished politician and law maker.
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua - An apostle of the rule of law, transparency and professionalism, he announced Nigeria's withdrawal from hosting the 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
As a humble servant and leader who listens to the voice of his subjects, he reversed his decision. His action was greeted with unprecedented cheers and gratitude.
He sacked the then sports minister, Hassan Gimba who became unpopular and also redeployed the director general, Amos Adamu for what sports analysts call an "act of insubordination" to constituted authority.
As an agent of professionalism, he appointed Engr. Sani Ndanusa as sports minister. An appointment many consider as the fusing of a "round peg into a round hole". President Yar'Adua is the sports man of the year 2008.
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