Mixed reactions greet sports minister’s removal

Mixed reactions greeted the removal on Wednesday of Bolaji Abdullahi as sports minister and his replacement with Tamuno Danagogo, with some stakeholders expressing shock and some hailing his removal.

In separate interviews with stakeholders across the country, some of them said they were shocked at the removal of Abdullahi, who was until Wednesday also Chairman, National Sports Commission.

While reacting, a former Green Eagles coach, Adegboye Onigbinde, said the removal was within the prerogative of President Jonathan.

He, however, described the minister as “a hardworking and result-oriented man.”

The coach said it was during Abdullahi’s tenure that the Super Eagles won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations under the guidance of an indigenous coach, Stephen Keshi.

“He helped to set the football house in order as soon as he came by, facilitating the appointment of Keshi as coach and proving that he preferred an indigenous talent to a foreigner. He was a man determined for success, although with no history in sports administration and he showed he was competent for the job.”

Chris Eseka, a veteran sports analyst, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the erstwhile minister did well. “He was able to make the industry quieter with little rancour.”

Eseka recalled that Abdullahi achieved victories in football with the Eagles and also with the Golden Eaglets.

“It is just the politics of the life, where they come and go,” he said.

President, Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Sulaiman Gora, however said the minister failed to concentrate to develop every other area of sports, other than football.

Gora said the development of scrabble over the last four years had been entirely done through the efforts of members of the federation.

“We never received anything to encourage the development of the game in the country,” he said.

Ebenezer Morakinyo, the Vice-President, Nigeria Volleyball Federation, said Abdullahi played key roles in supporting his federation by attending some of their board meetings.

“He was always around to talk to us and our players when we meet as a federation. We were always motivated morally by his kind words and presence among us. It served as a great morale-booster for us, our coaches and players,” Morakinyo said.

The Kebbi Director of Sports, Ladan Usman, said Abdullahi’s removal came to him as a rude shock. He said that the sporting world would miss Abdullahi.

“I do not know the criteria used in removing the minister, but the sports circle will miss a dedicated sports administrator who has achieved a lot.

“He was able to bring sanity to the Nigeria Football Federation and the league body, as well as recording victories in continental and global football competitions,’’ he said.

Garuba Musa, a sports administrator, said any political appointee should expect to be removed at any time.

He said the former minister recorded some remarkable achievements, adding that he regarded Abdullahi as the best ever minister to head the NSC.

“But let’s see what the new minister will bring to the table,” Musa said.

Abdullahi who was already airborne on the way to Poland when he was removed could not be reached by The PUNCH but his Special Assistant (Media) Julius Ogunro spoke with us on the allegations raised against the former minister. The minister who hails from Kwara State was accused of being loyal to Dr. Bukola Saraki who has defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

He said, “Those allegations are complete fabrications and childlike. If he was going to say anything against the government he is serving would he say that in the presence of a governor and top PDP officials? Does it make any sense?

“He went ahead of the President to receive him in Ilorin on Sunday and not the Monday of the rally. He was not a politician but a technocrat and that’s what people must respect. He was neither in PDP nor APC but served the government very well.

“The major thing to take away from his tenure is that he was the best of the sports ministers. Nobody changed the face of sports administration in Nigeria like he did. The results we got in all fields during his tenure did not come by chance as he worked hard, very hard. As we speak the detail programmes for the World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympics have been worked out and being implemented. He has laid a very solid foundation for others to leverage on.

“All these manufactured allegations have been created to diminish his work but nobody has been able to say he didn’t achieve much.”