The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has expressed confidence in the ability of Patrick Aghamba, the Commissioner nominee for the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports to drive the sector to higher heights.
The association SWAN Anambra Chapter said this in a Statement issued on Sunday.
The body hoverer expressed concerns over the scrapping of Anambra Sports Development Commission and return of sports to the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports.
Recall that Gov. Chukwuma Soludo on May 5 forwarded an 18-man list of Commissioner nominees to the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation with Sports being merged with the Ministry of Youth Development.
The Statement which was signed by Chimezie Anaso and Uche Ndeke, the chairman and Secretary respectively said SWAN had thought that the Commission which was established in 2018 would be strengthened but was shocked at its return to the ministry.
“This is unexpected because it is coming at a time when when sports has grown to become a full fledged sector and the Federal government and most states are correspondingly operating it as an industry
“This is why there is a National Sports Commission at the Federal and Sports Development Commissions or Sports Councils in many states; very few still administer sports through the ministry.
“The major worry here is that sports will now be administered as a department within the ministry and this will likely constrict growth and development,” it said.
SWAN said the reappointment of Aghamba who served as Commissioner for Youth Empowerment in Soludo’s first term and the additional responsibility as sports administrator was time around meant that he was the best man for the job.
The body of sports journalists called on Soludo to provide adequate political support and funding needed to turn Anambra to its place of glory on the map of national sports.
“Having expressed our concerns, what is paramount is the development of sports as entertainment, profession, business and means of economic prosperity for the society, athletes, investors and families.
“What is important now is providing the right environment, building of sports infrastructure, effective grassroots development programmes, school sports, high performance centres and capacity building for coaches.
“We believe the transition will not be a difficult one because there is a sports directorate which the Commissioner will inherit and build on.
“As Sports Press and partners in progress, SWAN is ready as always to work with the ministry in the promotion of policies and programmes of the Soludo administration’s agenda for sports,” it said.
