Sports ministry, NFF partners in progress, says Minister

By Harry Awurumibe, Presidential Villa, Abuja

Sports and Youth Development minister, Sunday Akin Dare has said that he will continue to work together with the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure that football does not suffer despite its leadership undergoing government agency’s procedural examination.

Speaking to the State House Correspondents on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Dare said that his ministry is working with NFF for the good of football rather than to interfere with the federal agency’s probe of the leadership of the federation.

He stated clearly that he will not interfere with the work of government agencies as it concerns the leadership of NFF, adding that, “I will rather leave government agencies to do their work while I concentrate on how best to ensure that adequate support is given to all the federations to succeed including the NFF”.

He revealed that it was on the strength of that he has taken out time to pay a surprise visit to the Super Falcons training in Abuja for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics African qualifier ties between Nigeria and Cote d Ivoire.

The minister however hinted thatTokyo 2020 Olympics preparation will be unveiled next week even as he disclosed that the ministry will send Nigeria’s elite athletes to high performance facilities abroad to ensure that they are in top shape for the Olympic Games in Japan.