Minister, Lawmaker at ‘war’ over N12b intervention fund

Sports Minister, John Owan-Enoh

What appears a cold war may be brewing between the Sports Minister, Senator John Owen Enoh and the Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Hon. Ekene Adams, over the expenditure of the N12 billion intervention fund released by President Bola Tinubu to the sports ministry earlier this year.

Adams had accused the Sports Ministry of not being transparent in its spending of the money, saying that 80 per cent of National Sports Federations didn’t get a dime from the funds allocated to the sports ministry in the budget in each calendar year.

“For instance, foreign athletes who spent their hard-earned money on flight to and from Ghana for Africa Games have not received the refund; also, coaches and many other athletes have not received their monetary prize for medals won at the Games.

“The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government prioritised transparency and accountability in the allocation of funds, and the intervention funds for the Olympic Games should follow the same procedure by involving the National Assembly in the scrutiny of the funds. This will ensure that the athletes, coaches and Presidents of the Federations benefit from the funds.

Adams continues: “Transparency in the process is crucial to ensure that the funds are used effectively and efficiently for the development of Sports in Nigeria. Without proper oversight, there is a risk that the funds could be mismanaged or misappropriated leading to waste of resources and missed opportunity to support the dedicated athletes who put the country’s name on the global map.”

Adams advised the Federal Government to ensure that the intervention funds are scrutinised by the National Assembly before being passed.

But the Sports Minister, Senator Enoh fired back at