Amidst the uncertainties, John Owan-Enoh was on Wednesday named the 36th Minister of Sports Development.
Senator John Owan-Enoh was named as the Minister of Sports Development on Wednesday, taking over the reins from Sunday Dare.
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent his ministerial nominee list to the Senate for screening and confirmation, one of the hardest guesses was who would be chosen as the Sports Minister.
The reason was not far-fetched, as none of the individuals on the two lists had any sports history or backstory.
Amidst these uncertainties, Mr John Owan-Enoh was chosen to head the newly delineated Sports Development Ministry, with the Youth Ministry having been separated from it.
This has led to a round of skepticism from some stakeholders, who believe the country has made another mistake, while some believe a greenhorn could lead to a breath of 'fresh air' for Nigerian sports.
Early life
Referred to as an accomplished educationist and politician, Owan-Enoh was born on 4 June 1966, in Agbokim Waterfalls Community, Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State. He had his early education at St. Patrick's Primary School, Agbokim, and Government Secondary School, Obubra.
He then proceeded to the University of Calabar, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. As stated in his profile, Mr Owan-Enoh finished in 1989 as the best graduating student. He obtained a Master's Degree in Demography from the same university and then a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management.
As captured in his profile for ministerial screening, Mr Owan-Enoh lectured at the University of Calabar for seven years before journeying into politics.
Political strides
Mr Owan-Enoh was in the Cross Rivers' House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003 before his election to the House of Representatives in 2003, representing the Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency. He served in the lower chambers for 12 years until 2012.
While in the House, Mr Owan-Enoh held a number of positions, including the House Committee Chairman on Finance, as well as Budget and Appropriation. In the Senate, Mr Owan-Enoh was also the Chairman of the Finance Committee
Mr Enoh was a member of the PDP until May 2017, when he decamped to the APC. He was a governorship aspirant of the APC in Cross River State but withdrew from the race to support the incumbent governor, Bassey Otu.
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Aside from politics, Mr Owan-Enoh reportedly owns many farms where he operates arable and livestock production. The new minister's farms spreads across various parts of Cross River State. He also operates an out-grower scheme in communities where his farms are located.
Daunting task
With no previous expertise in active sports or sports administration, Mr Owan-Enoh faces many obstacles in his new position as Minister of Sports Development. Corruption, mismanagement, and many other hydra-headed issues plague the Nigerian sports sector.
Corruption in Nigerian sports makes it difficult to attract sponsors and investments for sports development, and this is one area that Mr Owan-Enoh will need to address urgently and many more if he is to improve the performance of Nigerian athletes, both at the local and international levels.
