Former President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, has hailed the appointment of Senator John Enoh as Minister of Sports Development by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Gusau insisted that the sector is poised for a “Renewed Transformation,” following the appointment of the Cross River-born politician to oversee the sports sector.
In a thank you message to Tinubu at the weekend via a statement, the athletics administrator said: “After a careful study of Senator Enoh’s blueprint agenda for sports development vis-a-vis your “Renewed Hope Agenda’ I am well assured that my trepidation for the sector has disappeared.
“Mr. President, the sports sector has suffered from a paucity of funds and total neglect by governments at all levels, leading to inhibiting growth currently being witnessed in the sector.
“The lack of legal framework for sports development is another factor inhibiting the growth of the sector; this can be tackled through a collaboration between the executive and the legislature in setting up a proper legal framework for sports”.
He said Enoh is a distinguished man who wears different caps to reposition sports. He prayed to Almighty Allah to guide and direct him right.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival, Hon. Bukola Olopade, believes that the sports sector in the country will continue to soar under the new Minister John Enoh.
Enoh was sworn in on Monday along with the other ministers. Remarkably, it was on the same date, 21 August that his predecessor, Sunday Dare was also sworn in in 2019.
Olopade said he believes that Enoh will continue from where Sunday Dare stopped. An indication to this is the fact that the new minister has retained Kola Daniel who worked with Dare as a media aide.
Speaking from Budapest, Hungary at the ongoing World Athletics Championships, Olopade remarked that the preparation for the National Sports Festival holding next year in Ogun State will get a new lease of life.
He dismissed suggestions that the new sports minister could be hampered as he did not have a sporting background.
