19th NSF Will Witness Remarkable Organization - Dalung, Bello

19th NSF Will Witness Remarkable Organization - Dalung, Bello By Nelly Robinson The FCT minister, Malam Mohammed Bello and Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Barr Solomon Dalung on Tuesday in Abuja said that all is set and that the nation's capital is ready to host 2018 National Sports Festival, BSNSports.com.ng reports. Against the back drop of the already exaggerated statement “there is no money”, the lack of visible notable physical evidence, renovations, shabby and dirty outlook of the National stadium complex Abuja, and environs. And lack of arrangement from the host city and its Minister, and lack of communication from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development organizers of the event National Sports Festival 19th edition Abuja 2018 despite over 6 years of the carnival Olympic gathering of Nigerian Youths for sporting fiesta, failing to hold; the festival seems to be favoured after all to effect when media and participants outcry was beginning to ask if there was going to be a postponement. Briefing newsmen on Tuesday, two days to the 6th December opening ceremony date which also marks one year scheduled date for the event, the duo of Minister of FCT, Mallam Musa Bello Muhammed and Minister of youths and Sports Development Barr. Solomon Dalung in a bid for our usual last minute fire brigade approach has assured the public that the event will not only take place, but witness a remarkable organization. In his submission; Barr. Dalung states “I am most delighted to once again address you and indeed all Nigerians on the progress we have made on our preparation to host the 19th National Sports festival, from 6th – 16th December 2018 so that we can all be on the same page. “Events of this nature nature usually require at least two years to prepare for, but for the mere fact that we are here today on the eve of its opening ceremony, I must commend the staff of the Ministry, our colleagues from the States, our Federations and all stakeholders for working with us to pull this off. The hosting rights was originally awarded to Cross River State in December 2012 during the crossing ceremony of the 18th edition and was tagged ‘Centenary Games’ to coincide with the Centenary celebration of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria in 1914. However, after series of postponement, the Hosting Right was withdrawn by the National Council on Sports at its 21st Meeting held on February 15 2018 in Kaduna. “We held the 1st and 2nd joint Technical Meeting/inspection of the venues and facilities on July 4 and August 30 2018, and conducted training for Accreditation Desk officers and Federation Secretaries General on Online Registration of Participants in July 2018. The movement of the Torch of Unity, fashioned after the Olympic Torch and the Commonwealth Queen’s Baton Relay, started with a flag off ceremony by Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo GCON on October 1 as part of the program for National Independence Dinner. The Torch has traveled to all the capitals of the states of the Federation and will make its way into the main bowl of the National Stadium for the opening ceremony on Thursday December 6th to signal the commencement of the Games” The minister gave the figures of the participants as 14,580 Athletes, coaches, team officials and state Delegates from 36 states with Ebonyi not participating. The number of sports to feature increased from 25 to 40. His counterpart Mallam Bello Muhammed expatiated on FCT’s role as a co-host “indeed, of the 17 subcommittees that constitute the main organizing committee (MOC) FCT has been assigned 4 critical subcommittees namely opening and closing ceremonies, Security and Transportation. We are also supporting the Games Village subcommittee with some vital logistics. He gave FCT representation as 470 athletes and officials who would be competing in 27 events “our contingents’ cuts across the entire ethnic and geographical landscape of Nigeria: reflecting our rich diversity and the vision of the FCT as the center of national unity. Our objective is also not to host but to showcase Nigeria at its best, and to come tops in the competition”. Concluding, Mallam Bello called on all FCT residents and stakeholders for a very exciting event and a great way to usher in the Christmas season. Enquiring further on actual state of our preparedness to effect a memorable festival, interaction with the Chairman of Publicity committee Mrs Lere-Adams reveals “in confidence I want to assure the general public and especially our athletes more importantly our reporters that we are proposing scoring boards to be in all the venues where the sporting events are going to take place and we are sure Government is working hard to see these scoring boards are in place so that results will be displayed as they unfold” Further probe into this take, however confirms this assertion is not yet in full existence even as Vice President Sports Writers Association of Nigeria Danmusa Mohammed who is serving in his capacity as a sports veteran in this committee agrees that the failure of fund reaching the organizers of the festival early enough is giving rise to what looks like a shabby and poorly planned Nigerian Olympic “The Nigerian factor is always there, it’s a government we all best rely on. Funds were not being released but that cannot take away that there’s a lot that should have been done that is not done. Everything we do in Nigeria, there is this last minute approach; this rush hour, this fire brigade approach and I think we are all at it again already. 2 days to the event and a lot of activities are springing up, a lot of areas that are not covered now gingering up to be covered” Danmusa says the time that Nigerian factor will change in our organizations of sporting events is when sports participants and technocrats are giving the opportunity to man the sports Ministries’ and sectors