Ogun No Longer Remembered As Sports Hub – Showunmi

ABEOKUTA – A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state, Segun Showunmi has bemoaned lack of sports developmental programmes by the current administration in the state which has denied the state its status as sports destination of the country.

Showunmi equally argued that the state government was not ready to host National Sports Festival in 2024.

Showunmi said, the government has not shown any seriousness in hosting the biggest sporting event in the country.

Showunmi stated this while speaking to members of the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Ogun state chapter on Monday.

It would be recalled that, the government had last year won the bid to host the National Sports Festival in 2024.

The government at the weekend signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal government towards hosting a successful event.

But, Showunmi while reacting to the level of preparedness by the government said, if the Ogun continues with its “lackadaisical” attitude towards sports and lack of early preparation for the festival, the state may lose the hosting right to other state.

“At this time, one would have expected that a Local Organizing Committee (LOC) would be in place, one would have expected that the world would have been seeing news about their preparation and excitements towards the sporting event, one would have expected that they have started building the brand, one would have expected that they have started preparing the venues and the locations where these things will be done, one would have expected that they would have started marketing it, one would have expected that the figary of what is required to have a proper sports festival will be in place.

“Must we always lose to Delta and Edo? And if you look at what is going on in Delta and Edo, you find out that they have never had a point in time when sport was not considered a major part of whatever it is they are doing.

“Yes, I heard that they (government) have now signed an MoU. Were they not going to sign one eventually anyway? Why does it appear as if their interpretation of their role in government is only to chase after easy money?

“You can’t have a youth population reflective of what we know and think we have and we will be acting as though sports is a third tier or fourth tier or non existing ministry or direction in Ogun”, Showunmi said.

He berated the Dapo Abiodun – led administration of not giving sport development the attention it deserves, saying “This government has not been able to sustain the level of sporting attention that they met”.

But in a swift reaction, the Special Assistant to the Ogun state governor on Youths and Sports, Mr. Olamide Lawal disagreed with Otunba Segun Showunmi.

Lawal maintained that, bidding for the hosting right by the state government shows the importance the present administration under Prince Dapo Abiodun attached to sports.

He said, “How does he measure seriousness? Ogun state is blessed to have Dapo Abiodun as governor in this very crucial time.

“For the governor to have determined to bid for the National Sports Festival, it shows the governor is committed to the sports development in the state in terms of talent discovery and infrastructural development.

“The hosting right is a catalyst for rapid sports development for the governor’s second term. As a government that is determined to host, everything is being considered to host a successful festival. Nos serious government will take the hosting of the National sports festival for a ride. It means Mr. Segun Showunmi doesn’t know what he was saying. Everything is about planning. To show the preparedness of the state government, we have covered the main bowl of the MKO Abiola stadium. It shows that we are determined. It will give us the privilege to approach private sector. The government alone cannot drive sports.”