By

Mike Obasi

Following the disappointed outing of team Nigeria at the 2024 Olympics in France, the House Committee on Sports under the Leadership of Honourable Kabiru Amadu has called for a robust planning strategy ahead of the next Olympics in 2028.

The Chairman stated this during his Committee's first official interactive Meeting with the Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh, on Tuesday at the National Assembly.

The Lawmaker Representing Gusau/Tsafe Federal constituency in the House of Representative, said Nigeria cannot afford to repeat what happened in Paris in the next four years, where the country did not win a single medal.

" Nigerian Sports has gone a long way over the years and it is totally unacceptable that we are still struggling  with Podium finish at major global competitions" .

" In fact, one of the reasons why this meeting was called was because of a motion of urgent importance that was put forward because of Team Nigeria's bad outing at the Paris Olympics Games".

" As a Proactive Committee, the Committee has put together a Blueprint to help it's oversight function as regards ways and means to revamp Nigerian Sports".

" This Committee is very determined to assist in all ways possible to help the Sports Ministry and the various Sporting Federations, especially in the area of funding ".

The Chairman also used the occasion of the meeting to present a cheque of a Hundred Million Naira to the Sports  Minister and the President of the Nigeria Olympics Committee, Habu Gumel , which was the promise made to Team Nigeria in the Month of June ahead of the Paris Olympics Games.

The Chairman said he presented the cheque to the Minister on behalf of the Speaker of House , Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, and the Money should serve as a financial base ahead of Preparations for the 2028 Olympics Games.

The Committee also used the session to appraise the 2023/2024 budget of the  Ministry of Sports,  where Committee Members frowned at discrepancies observed in the budget and urged the Ministry to put its House Together ahead of future meetings.