Sideline Media At Your own Peril, Adamu Warns Dalung, Pinnick, Others

Veteran Sports Administrator and former Director General of defunct National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr Amos Adamu has urged Leaders in various sporting sections to see media practitioners as partners in sports development in the country. Dr Adamu whose ingenuity ensured that Nigeria hosted first ever and successful All African Games (AAG) in 2003 popularly tagged COJA recalled with nostalgia how sporting Press were pivotal to laudable achievements recorded throughout his work times at NSC, then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Ministry of Sports. Wondering why today’s sports Administrators prefer to run solo or engage all manner of individuals without requisite sporting background while preparation and eventual participation at mostly international competitions, the erstwhile NFA Sole Administrator and scholar particularly enjoined Youth and Sports Minister Barr Solomon Dalung and Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick to deploy more proactive means of carrying out their functions. His exact words when he received newly elected executive members of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), FCT Chapter at his residence in Abuja, “My best friends are Journalists. My philosophy in life is making friends rather than enemies because the truth is that no position of place is permanent. Anywhere you are, god positioned there. “Sports are all about performance not ethnic or tribal consideration if you actually want to fulfil visible purpose. Sports anywhere in the world are media event. As a Sports Administrator, if you are going to any event especially when Athletes and officials are involved, you carry the media along. You can only do otherwise if you have something to hide. How will the public follow what happens anywhere in the world if Sports Writers are not there to talk about it? He questioned. Earlier, FCT SWAN Chairman, Comrade Ndubueze Chidoka applauded laudable contribution of Dr Adamu in Nigeria’s sports sector and advised him not to relent. Comrade Chidoka used the opportunity to reiterate the readiness of Sports Writers in collaborating with willing corporate, government or individuals in advancing sports development in Nigeria and beyond. It would be recalled that hosting 2003 AAG now known as African games produced massive and state-of-the-art Abuja National stadium with various indoor and outdoor spots.