The presidential standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has berated President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s sports leadership for the disastrous out of Nigeria in the just-ended 2024 Paris Olympics.
Nigeria finished with no single medal after spending over N12 billion while nine other African countries won medals.
In a series of posts on X, the former Anambra State governor expressed displeasure with the team’s inability to clinch a “single medal” despite the “huge financial investment.”
According to him, the N12 billion earmarked for Olympics “is almost twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology.”
He wrote: “Now that the Paris Olympics 2024 has officially ended and our dear Team Nigeria, despite the huge financial investment made into the project, is returning without a single medal, let me unreservedly register my displeasure with the performance of our team and their handlers.
“The rascality and recklessness that has continued to characterise leadership in our nation in nearly every department.
“The general impression that has come to stick is the one that portrays our country as a joke, even on the international stage.
“How can one explain that a country like Jamaica spent less than 5% of what we spent on our contingents for the Paris Olympics 2024 and won as many as 6 medals.
“Yet with our huge financial investments and large contingent, we could not win even a single medal?”
He frowned at the “reckless” removal of Favour Ofili’s name from the team by some officials despite training for the Olympics.
“This is over N136 million (about $85,000) spent on each of the 88 Nigerian contingents to the Olympics, and no single medal was won while Jamaica, a nation which spent far less than we did, a total of about $2300 on each contingent, won 6 medals; 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at the Olympics,” he said.
“Let us consider the case of Favour Ofili, a Nigerian professional sprinter who trained for years for the 2024 Olympics, only for her name to be recklessly and wrongly removed from the list of athletes for the 100m race at the Olympics by Nigerian sporting authorities.
“What explanation can anyone give about Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower, who was frustrated by the same rascality of some Nigerian leaders, making her switch her allegiance to the United States, where she eventually won a medal in the just completed Olympics?
“These same professional athletes were denied the opportunity to represent our nation in Tokyo 2020, for similar reasons of administrative recklessness.
“What a country! What a shame! When do we stop these rascalities that always rob our nation of golden opportunities to make a positive change?
“I call on the government to investigate these gross misconducts and make sure that those responsible do not have the opportunity to do so again.
“We must build a nation of discipline and commitment to duty, where competence and capacity reign. That is the New Nigeria we preach, and it is possible.”
Meanwhile, Obi has eulogised two Nigeria footballers and former Rangers Football Club legends, Stanley Okoronkwo and Harrison Mecha. He joined other sports lovers in service of songs in Enugu last Thursday.
Both Okoronkwo and Mecha were retired footballers who enjoyed fulfilling football careers while playing for the Rangers Football Club and for the national team in their days.
“I have consistently advised that such heroes who have made positive impacts in our nation and contributed to our development by utilizing their talents and skills be celebrated and appreciated.
“Celebrating such heroic personalities will awaken in our younger generation, the passion to contribute to societal development.
“Both Okoronkwo and Mecha were football heroes who distinguished themselves in the field of play and contributed to the growth of our sports sector.
“May God Almighty, who is pleased to call them home, grant them eternal rest, and grant their families, the Ex-Rangers Int’l Footballers, and all of us the fortitude to bear their irreplaceable loss.
“May God continue to protect and bless their families.”