A High Performance Centre and sports equipment worth N78.7 million is rotting away at the nation’s capital in Abuja.
Investigation carried out by The Point revealed that since the Ministry of Sports established the centre to serve as training venue for Nigerian athletes preparing for international engagements like the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games or the All Africa Games, the project has since been abandoned due to lack of funds to manage the centre.
The centre, established by former Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, and later upgraded by Dr Tamuno Danagogo, has not been functioning till date, after the Federal Government had invested so much in it to reduce the cost of training Nigerian athletes abroad for international competitions.
Recently, the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Solomon Ogba, raised dirty dust about the establishment of the centre in Abuja, saying that it was a waste of resources.
According to him, the one in Port Harcourt is far better, because it has produced some good athletes for Nigeria.
He complained that the centre, built inside the Abuja stadium, was counter-productive to the development of Nigerian Sports.
The Point gathered that during the Abdullahi era as Nigeria’s sports minister, former President Goodluck Jonathan approved the establishment of the High Performance Centre.
“After the London Olympics, President Goodluck Jonathan, alarmed by the level of failure of Team Nigeria, which returned without a medal, held a presidential retreat on sports.
The establishment of a High Performance Centre was recommended, which the President approved.
“N3 billion was requested for the project, but unspecified initial amount of money was released.
Some money was released again for the project before the end of Jonathan’s administration.
What happened to that money?” Ogba asked, insisting that the Federal Government must probe the Abuja High Performance Centre project.
He however consoled himself with Team Nigeria’s performances at the last 2016 Rio Olympics.
“Let’s put records straight. We were the only sports, which despite all the odds, were able to qualify for the semifinals in seven events and the finals in two. No other sports, other than football, achieved what we attained in Rio,” Ogba said.
A competent source also hinted The Point that the University of Port Harcourt has been making use of the training centre in the state, which was funded by the International Athletics Federation, adding that the one established in Abuja never took off.
“The Ministry of Sports is owing the coaches employed to see to the running of the Abuja centre close to ten months’ salaries. It is rather unfortunate to witness things like these in the country,” the source said.
