FROM ROMANUS UGWU, ABUJA
SENATE committee on Sports has demanded from the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, the reason for the plight of the U-23 players currently camping for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Abuja, frowning at the speculations that they are passing through harrowing experiences.
Speaking when the Minister appeared before the committee, the chairman, Senator Obinna Ogba lamented the unpalatable reports he had been getting from the camp, demanding for explanation from the minister, just as he ordered him to wade into the problem.
According to Senator Ogba: “The NFF crisis brings me to the plight of players in the U-23 camp. Although the Minister has mentioned that all is well with the team, I want to inquire from him what I have been told concerning the team.
“I have been reliably told that it was even very difficult for the players and official to drink water during training, because they have not been supplied with any. I was also told that it is also difficult for them to buy fuel for their official vehicles to take them from their hotel camp to the training ground.
“We want to know whether it is true and we urge you to make inquiry to find out if the complaints are true or some people are making up the story. The committee wants to also know how many events Team Nigeria will be participating in in the Rio Olympic Games. We believe in the quality not quantity,” he quipped.
Replying to the committee’s inquiry, the minister said: “The problems at the U-23 camp have equally gotten to my table. But by my investigations, it has been like that for most of our football national teams.
“The problem is more notorious with football. I had to convert the permanent secretary into a cashier to travel to Senegal and pay the players and official directly. Will it surprise you that some of the coaches even came to my office to complain of salary arrears of five months.
“These funds are there, but the federation have it rough because since there is no peace in football, the goodwill they enjoy from those that invest in football have been withdrawn. That is why they needed peace more than anything. I will need to talk to them to see how we can address the issue,” he noted.