One of Nigeria’s influencial sports advocate Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has added his voice to the lingering issues of insincerity and lack of transparency Chairman House Committee on Sports Ekene Adams allegedly levelled on the Sports Minister Senator. John Owan Enoh.
In a no holds-bare Press statement, Gombe opined that his interactions with the Hon. Sports Minister so far has proven that Hon. Ekene Adams accusations of the Minister being allegedly insincere and lacking transparency in his dealings on issues in the Ministry was valid.
Gombe said; “Let me take this opportunity to add my voice to the recent statement credited to the Chairman House Committee on Sports Hon. Ekene Adams about his feelings and impressions on how the Minister of Sports Hon. Enoh is managing our Sports.”
Gombe continued, “I don’t have details.of other things Ekene said, But from what I know, Senator Enoh is not sincere. I repeat, He is not a sincere person.
He doesn’t appreciate people making their contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria. The Minister came at a time when the sports ministry is down and in a big Mess, unfortunately, he was not ready for that. He made so many consultations but his consultations were one-sided. Before someone says because he didn’t listen to Gara Gombe. As a leader, you don’t have to wait for people to tell you about how good or bad others are until you personally verify”
“When Senator Enoh became minister, I don’t know Him. Someone who knows him from the same State, one of our respected coaches James Peters took me and Dr. Alex Mana to visit him and he told the Minister that he brought some friends who can help offer advise. Some people around him were uncomfortable to see us. They kept us for two hours so much that I was almost leaving. Immediately we were called back and spoke with him.
After about 15 minutes, the Minister asked me “How do you know about all these, are you part of the sports ministry? I told him no, I’m not part of the Ministry, but I have been around sports for about 25 years. He congratulated me and said again “is there money in Sports, I said yes, there’s money, he asked again, “Where is it? I said there is money in Sports, first, the right thing has to be done.”
“He demanded that I put everything I had discussed with him in writing and I did.”
“My recommendations to him was to constitute a pool of 43-man advisory committee comprising media, technical people, administrators, whose names I also listed and put in the document not that I mentioned it only. So that anything you want, you can pick from the pool. I also raised in that document how to manage Sports federations, fight corruption, sanitize the Federations to be accountable and sustainable. I also referred to him documents from previous reports of committees set up to change the fortunes of Nigerian sports.
All these are in the document I submitted to Senator John Enoh but, he ignored it, I will soon make that document public. It is very clear the man is not sincere and transparent”.
Coincidentally, I met the Hon. Enoh again during Nigeria vs Ethiopia female National team match at the National Stadium Abuja. I told the Hon. Minister, you gave me an assignment and not even an acknowledgement letter was received?
He replied he didn’t receive it, I informed him the document was delivered through his staff Mr. Brenden his SA, he said I should find out from Mr.Brenden, I said no, Mr. Brenden should call me if He finds it.”
Over four months ago till date, I have observed so many mistakes going on in the industry. That alone shows insincerity of a leader.
“On the Nigerian professional League (NPFL) Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and GTI signed one of the most dubious contract against Nigerians National interest, I raised an alarm.
My partners gave them a Concept Note. Which is preparatory to a full proposal, while we are waiting for them to call for a meeting to discuss the concept Note and prepare how the $11 million dollars would be raised fully after we must have signed the agreement. They ran away and rush within two days to sign the contract with StarTimes which they have been discussing for six months.
It was our entry and concept Note that triggered them to sign the dubious contract of $800.000 dollars Which is against national interest.
Till today, we have not seen the $800.000 dollars, there’s no story about it and the Minister Knows.
People are asking why was the process not transparent to give other Nigerians the previlage to bid for the sponsorship of the league?
I’m going to talk at the appropriate time about GTI on how they started missleading Nigerians with NFF funds, suddenly, they have turned marketers, sponsors or consultants.
They are in the capital market, then, what are they doing in sports.?
They’re only missleading people, how much have they raised?
They are in federations Cup now, to rebrand federations Cup, they’re in NFF to raise money for the federation’s Cup, the Minister is also signing contract with them to rebrand federations Cup to President’s Cup. Something is wrong somewhere which we may have to uproot.
Again, when StarTimes , GTI , NPFL signed the so called sponsorship deal with NFF, I raised alarm saying $800.000 is not good for Nigeria, I informed them I have a partner in London, he’s a Nigerian that has the capability of raising $11million a year.”
Later, the minister called me I could not pick, he sent a WhatsApp message and later called me back and asked is that Alhaji Gombe?, I said yes, he said he has to speak with me, saying that someone sent a message that I have someone who can raise $11million for the league, I said yes.
He said when am I coming to Abuja that he would like to see me.
I told him I would be in Abuja tomorrow. There was no flight from Gombe, I had to travel by road from Gombe to Abuja.
The following day, I started calling Minister John Enoh from Nyanya area of Abuja because I wanted to see hm quickly and travel back to Gombe.
I called him severally he didn’t pick, later, he called back and said he was in a meeting. He asked whether I am in town I said yes, he said tomorrow he is going to call me and inform me when we would talk.
Do you know that I spent four Days in Abuja, this man didn’t call me?
I sent him a message, he didn’t reply, I called him severally after, he didn’t oblige. I have to return to Gombe”
“So everything Hon. Ekene said about Minister Enoh’s insincerity is true. there’s no two ways about it
Ask anybody or make your research, if you would find anywhere Senator Enoh has made any statement about corruption, never, and the sports industry is one of the most corrupt sectors in Nigeria. I mean what I am saying.
Gombe further alleged that, “Most of Our past sports ministers are supposed to be in Jail now.
Enoh have started his own and everything Ekene said is Correct, he is not transparent.”
The statement further reads.
“Look at the AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) there was an audit report about the monumental corruption in AFN, in Basketball. In Boxing even in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), What has the Minister of sports done?
He alledged that Any minister of sports you see fraternizing with Nigeria Football Federation, just know that minister is corrupt.
When Senator Enoh arrived for the job, the first thing NFF officials did was put him in a plane and flew him straight to Cairo that we should bid for AFCON and we failed woefully.
When one of the past Ministers resumed the same thing happened, they took him to Zurich that we should go bid for U-17 FIFA female football World Cup.
The type of friendliness existing between Enoh and NFF shows something is fishing and the bubble will soon burst.
See what happened at the all Africa Games where they claimed they paid this and that allowances to AthIetes. The AthIetes have not actually been paid.
The last time I checked, even our 100mh Champion Tobi Amusan and others are yet to be paid tickets refunds.
Everything the minister said he would do when he came, nothing has been done, just making noise.
So, he is not transparent, he is not sincere.that is why I have no respect for him.
Four days he kept me in Abuja saying he wants to see me, I didn’t ask to see him.
Initially, I didn’t want to see Enoh, all other ministers, when you start telling them the truth they run away from you. Therefore, Hon. Ekene Adams is 100% correct.
