Minister of Sports, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi has debunked the claims that the Commission is planning to retrench all sports federation secretaries who have been redeployed to the NSC Headquarters in Abuja.

Trustsports gathered that the redeployment of the secretaries is part of the reform of the sports federations, where the federations will be empowered to appoint their own secretaries, thereby granting them greater autonomy.

Speaking at an interactive session with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Lagos chapter at the weekend, Abdullahi made it clear that the reform is meant to make the federations function better, just as he said redeployed the secretaries would be posted to all the geo political zones of the country to administer the grassroots programme of the commission.

"We won't sack any of the recalled secretaries because there are other important assignments waiting for them. They will posted to the field to monitor and administer our grassroots programme around the country," the minister said.

Abdullahi also revealed that elections into the sports federations will hold by June this year, adding that the guidelines for the polls will be out by April.

"This time around, there will be no government nominees. It will be opened to interested Nigerians who have the love and progress of Nigerian sports at heart. The federations will appoint their secretaries," he said.

The minister assured concerned Nigerians that the NSC Bill is receiving progress at the National Assembly where it has just passed its second reading.

"We are looking at the middle of this year for the bill to be passed by the House of Assembly," he said.