By Sab Osuji, Enugu on October 24, 2019

Former Youth and Sports Commissioner in Enugu State, Barrister Ray Nnaji, has predicted in clear terms that sports will collapse in the country if government withdraws from funding it.

The lawyer cum football administrator spoke against the backdrop of demands for government to hands off sports for private individuals and corporate bodies to administer. Nnaji made his position known in a recent exclusive interview in his office in Enugu.

In the words of Barrister Nnaji: “Let me be frank with you, if you remove government from sports, there will be problem.

“Our sports sector will collapse. Reason is that the environment is not ripe for private individuals to thrive, sportswise.

“Tell me, in football, how many privately owned clubs have survived?

“Abiola Babes FC funded and sponsored by a billionaire (late chief MKO Abiola), was unable to sustain the team and at a certain stage, he disbanded it.

“Leventis United disbanded immediately Leventis shops folded up. Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Flash Flamingoes, New Nigerian Bank, ACB, where are they now?”

Continuing, Nnaji declared that the environment is not conducive for privately owned clubs to operate as the few ones around have continued to struggle.

He said: “Look at FC Ifeanyi Ubah, MFM and even Go Round FC of Omoku, they are all struggling. Reason is that the environment is not conducive for them to thrive.

“There is supposed to be incentives for private individuals that have clubs. Incentives are supposed to be coming to the clubs from government. But instead of doing that, the government makes policies that even destroy the private clubs.

“Nobody would like to throw away his hard earned money. Football is a profit making venture. Once the environment is ripe and conducive, lots of people will invest in it.”

Asked why it is difficult for government to hands off sports, Barrister Nnaji said it was because sports is viewed by government as a social responsibility.

“Government see it (sports) as a social responsibility.

“Government does not see it as a big business but as a social responsibility that must be carried out. That’s the point.

“Sports is part of government recurrent expenditure, not even in the capital expenditure.

“So, that’s why I said if you remove government from it, everything will collapse.”

Nnaji was there live at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium when Rangers recently came from behind to beat AS Pelicans of Gabon 3-1 in a CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round return leg tie. He always attends Rangers games unlike most other officials of the team, who hardly come around to watch the Coal City Flying Antelopes once they leave office.

On this he said: “It is difficult for me to say if there is anything different between myself and the others. But one thing I know for certain is that I have passion for the game and the club.

“Before now, I was one of the most fanatical supporters of Rangers. I also managed the team too.

“But one thing is clear; I don’t watch all their games. I select the ones I come to watch. I love good display of football. I don’t mind if it is the away team that’s playing well, I will be very pleased with them.

“My love for quality and entertaining game makes me always come around during their continental games. I also come to the stadium whenever a big team or a team I know that plays well like Enyimba, Heartland, Kano Pillars, among others are coming to play Rangers.

“Football is a BP (blood pressure) and hypertension clinic. You come to the stadium and laugh and be happy while leaving, and by so doing relieve yourself of tension, blood pressure and all that.

“When you come to the stadium and laugh it off with cheers and happiness that you have watched a good game, you gain a lot and not a situation you go there and at the end of the game your BP starts rising, it doesn’t help.

“That’s why I always select Rangers matches that I watch at the stadium,” the former National Treasurer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) explained.

•PHOTO: Ex-Commissioner, Barrister Ray Nnaji

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 24, 2019

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