Board members of the 31 Sports Federations met at the Presken Hotel, Abuja on Tuesday 4th May, 2021 and totally rejected the arbitrary and untimely dissolution of the Boards of duly and democratically elected Federations.
The Board members also condemned and rejected the establishment of caretaker committees over duly and democratically elected sports Federations whose tenures were yet to expire.
The members unequivocally stated that on no account will the Caretaker Committees be recognized by the International Bodies of the various Sports Federations in place of the duly elected Boards.
The Federations noted that the Minister of Youth and Sports and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development lied when they claimed that the tenures of the Boards have expired. Board elections were held on June 13, 2017 and the inauguration into office was done on July 10, 2017 for a 4-year tenure. The tenure will therefore expire on July 10, 2021 and not April 30, 2021 when the Federations were dissolved.
Board members wish to inform the public that no provision in the Code of Governance empowers the Minister to dissolve Boards of duly and democratically elected Federations and no legislation, law, regulation or instrument empowers the Minister or the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to set up Caretaker Committees.
The Board members of the 31 Sports Federations hereby give the Minister a 48 hour- ultimatum within which he is to rescind and reverse all unlawful pronouncements he made over the dissolution of duly appointed Board members of Sports Federations or face appropriate reactions from the Federations.
The Minister and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports is urged to desist from jeopardizing the future of our youths especially Nigeria’s sportsmen and women, by putting the country at risk of being banned from participating at the forthcoming Tokyo Olympic Games.
The Board Members restated that sports Caretaker Committees can never be allowed to replace duly elected Boards whose tenures are yet to expire.
It also stated that it will do all in its power to stop autocracy in sports, especially in a democratic dispensation.
Signed:
1. Aquatic Federation
2. Athletics Federation
3. Badminton Federation
4. Basketball Federation
5. Boxing Federation
6. Chess Federation
7. Cricket Federation
8. Cycling Federation
9. Darts Federation
10. Deaf Sports Federation
11. Fives Federation
12. Golf Federation
13. Gymnastics Federation
14. Handball Federation
15. Hockey Federation
16. Judo Federation
17. Karate Federation
18. Kickboxing Federation
19. Wushu Kungfu Federation
20. Rowing, Canoeing & Yatching Federation
21. Rugby Federation
22. Scrabble Federation
23. Shooting Federation
24. Squash Federation
25. Table Tennis Federation
26. Taekwondo Federation
27. Tennis Federation
28. Traditional Sports Federation
29. Volleyball Federation
30. Weightlifting Federation
31. Wrestling Federation
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