Nigerian Football Coaches Commend FCT Minister

The Nigeria Football Coaches Association (FCT Chapter) has commended the FCT administration for ordering the immediate reversal of the administrative structure and nomenclature of sports in the Federal Capital Territory.

The FCT Minister of State Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide on Tuesday ordered that the Sports Department which is domiciled under the Social Development Department of the FCT, be reverted immediately to a full Sports Council.

The Minister who made this declaration while receiving the executive committee members of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association (FCT Chapter) in her office, attributed the downward trend of Sports in the Capital city to the administrative bureaucratic structure which has frustrated all successive governments in the City.

“I want to tell you in clear terms that I am very frustrated in the way sports is administered in FCT.

“I am frustrated with the leadership of Sports Department in FCT. It is quite unfortunate that you would give directives and no one would carry out the directives.

“It is unheard off that over six months after the Minister gave approval for the reconstitution of all the Sports Associations in FCT, and all the short listings done, that that have not been done till now.

“It is quite frustrating,” the Minister bemoaned.

She immediately gave the leadership of FCT Sports Department led by Alhaji Musa Alim a 48 hours ultimatum to publish the names of all the Sports Association members and letters be written to them before the end of the week.

 “They must begin to function immediately, and their inauguration would come up later,” she said.

The Minister immediately directed the establishment of a Steering Committee that would ensure the immediate reversal of the administrative structure of the FCT Sports Council, and establishment of FCT Sports Development Fund.

Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of FCT Chapter of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association Godwin Bamigboye had enumerated the achievements of his Association to include the organization of vacation football clinic at the six area councils of FCT, attaching of football coaches to all the secondary schools in FCT, training and re-training of members and non-members among others.

 He passionately appealed to the Minister for the provision of sports facilities in all the nooks and crannies of FCT, reversal of the administrative structure of the FCT Sports Department, establishment of FCT sports development fund among others.

He commended the FCT administration for the on-going stadium construction at Kuje, Bwari and Abaji Area Councils, and the achievements of FCT U-13 boys for winning the National U-13 Football Competition organized by the NFF  two consecutive times.

He finally informed the Minister of the need to recognize the three players from FCT that were members of the glorious U-17 team to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE last year.

The players are Dele Alampasu (Abuja Football College) Saviour Godwin (AMAC FC) and Chigozie Obasi (FOSLA Academy, Karshi Abuja).