October 07, (THEWILL) – Following a closed-door meeting, the House of Representatives Committee on Sports and Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, put a planned investigative hearing on hold on Tuesday.
The hearing was to focus on doping in sports in Nigeria and the massive exclusion of Nigerian Track and Field athletes from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as THEWILL reported.
A proposal was moved by Lawrence Ayeni (APC-Osun), a member of the committee, to probe the actions of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. He had stated at the time that this was vital for the future of Nigerian sportsmen, particularly in light of the recent Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were marred by distasteful occurrences.
After that, the House agreed with him and directed the committee to convene the hearing.
However, the committee’s Chairman, Olumide Osoba, explained that the closed-door discussion with the minister on Tuesday was necessary because the committee needed all available information.
Osoba said that this was the only thing the committee required to carry out its duties. He said:
“Let me explain how the parliament works. A motion was moved and a committee was directed to investigate what exactly happened.
“Now, the committee needs all the information to be able to do its work. We have to look into the events that happened. I have discussed with the Ministry that we want the report of that committee set up to look into this same matter with the report of our own committee.”
Osoba indicated that the committee members will go over both reports and contact the Ministry, after which the committee would have an interactive session with the minister. “We want to do a thorough job, and so we need all the information on what exactly transpired. We don’t want to do a rushed job that will not be thorough.”
The minister was anticipated to return after two weeks, when members would have received enough information to perform a comprehensive job, according to the committee chairman, who said: “We don’t have all the information we need, and we will not start an interactive session without the needed information. We don’t want to do a shoddy job.”
In addition to these, Mr Ayeni also remarked that Tuesday’s event was similar to an emergency meeting held without members having the necessary expertise. Members would have prepared themselves if they received the necessary information prior to the closed-door meeting, he noted.
“Not all the members are around, and that is why we decided that we have to shift the meeting to another day. So, I cannot say precisely what the minister is here for,” he said.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
