Orkula Shaagee
19 November 2009
Abuja — Sports Minister and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC), Engineer Sani Ndanusa yesterday said his disqualification by the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to contest the presidency of the committee in the December election was null and void, and of no effect.
Consequently, Ndanusa who is also the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation said he is eminently qualified to seek election for the top NOC post.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja yesterday, Ndanusa explained that the NOC erred on the grounds that were used to disqualify him, stressing that he was more than qualified for the position.
According to Ndanusa, he has been in sports politics for more than 17 years and therefore was "eminently qualified for the job".
He also said that the NOC executive board has no right to suspend a federation election, pointing out that it was only the congress of NOC that has the right carry out such an exercise.
Ndanusa explained that his decision to go for the NOC presidency was borne out of the desire to turn around the fortunes of sports in Nigeria and make it viable and result-oriented.
"It is a federation election not an individual election so they cannot disqualify me. Those who are angling for my disqualification just want to sit tight and put the NOC in a cupboard. We need to remove the NOC from the shelves. NOC is not one person's committee, we need to develop sports.
"If in eight years there is no progress in a section of sports in this country, there is need to make progress and that is the covenant I have signed with Nigerians to change the face of sports.
"In over eight years we have not won a single medal and I think we need to make a change", the minister said.
The NOC Executive after a closed door meeting on Wednesday disqualified Ndanusa along with four others from contesting the presidency against the incumbent, Engineer Habu Gumel for not fulfilling all the requirements for the election slated for next month in Dutse, Jigawa State.
The NOC executive committee had also nullified the election that returned Ndanusa as the president of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) for not fulfilling an aspect of the NSC guideline that requires all contestants to be physically present at the election venue in Abuja. While the electoral officials from the NSC waived that requirement for Ndanusa who was in China at the time, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, chairman of the DAAR Communications, who was favoured to be elected to lead the Wrestling Federation of Nigeria was disqualified on the same ground.
But Ndanusa lamented that those who are engineering his disqualification are those who do not want changes in the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
According to the Official Yearbook of the Confederation of African Tennis CAT) 2008, Ndanusa has been President of Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) for eight years (2002 to date), Vice President of CAT since 2003 and presently Vice President Zone II West African Tennis Federation (2003 to 2011), and has also been the 3rd Vice President of NOC since 2005.
"With all these positions, who will say I am not qualified for this job?" he asked.
In a letter dated November 17, 2009 and signed by the CAT President, Tarak Cherif, and addressed to the Secretary General of the NOC, Lagos Nigeria, Ndanusa was confirmed as a serving officer of the Confederation.
"The two paragraph statement stated as follows, "With reference to our confirmation letter dated on 3rd November 2009, we would like you to record that Engr. Sani M. Ndanusa is serving the office of the Confederation of the African tennis (CAT) as 1st Vice President since 2003 till date and that President of the CAT Zone II (West Africa Region) since 2003 till date as well. Please grant him all necessary cooperation due to his office."
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