By Isaac Afolabi
The General Secretary, Nigeria Netball Federation, Dr Esther Aluko has called on Nija netball stakeholders, sports NGO’s notably Mr Edward Foludu, Cornelius Ehimiagbe and others to a round table peaceful meeting for the overall development of netball in Nigeria.
Dr Aluko stated this while reacting to the petition written by a trustee of CSED Initiative and sports for change activist Mr Cornelius Ehimiaghe in collaboration with Nija netball stakeholders and other sports personality such as Edward Foludu and others over a petition and news regarding the registration of netball association and its recognition by the minister of youth and sports development, Mr Sunday Dare.
Dr Aluko while speaking in an exclusive telephone interview with Isaac Afolabi said a letter had been written by aggrieved parties brothers and sisters for a peaceful resolution which was turned down.
She noted that no one could successfully propagate the game hence the cooperation of everyone is required irrespective of the negative stories in the media space.
Dr Aluko, a former president of the Association of former female athletes of Nigeria AFFAN noted that the demonstration game at the national sports festival in Asaba Delta State, invitation of directors of sports and the construction of a netball court and games at Area 10 in Abuja was to popularised the game that has been suffering series of delay from Nigerian participation at the global stage.
She also disclosed that five years plan has been drafted and efforts are onground to include Nigeria in the next all African games with the support of the federal ministry of sports.
In a release by CSED trustee member, Cornelius Ehimiaghe the game of Netball was long abandoned in Nigeria before his team and other passionate grassroot sports persons took the bull by the horn by training over 216 Physical health teachers to be certified netball coaches,travel to the nooks and crannies of the country such as Bayelsa,Enugu,Akwa-Ibom,Taraba among others to educate people about the game.
Mr Ehimiaghe in his release also noted that his team constructed netball courts and distributed equipments to schools and interested individuals but was surprised with the backdoor arrangements by the current NNF leaders, Dr Henry Nzekwu and Dr Esther Aluko.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that a group also known as Nija netball stakeholders on January 25 petitioned the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, lamenting the state of the federation.
The petition titled, ‘Petition letter against the use of Nigeria Netball Federation (NNF) to deceive Nigerians about the development of netball in Nigeria’ was made available to our Blitziksports and was signed by Cornelius Ehimiaghe, Edward Fuludu and Dr Grace Ataha.
It read in part, “We would want to draw your (minister) attention to the abuse of the good name of Nigeria by some self-seeking Nigerians. These unpatriotic Nigerians have in the past decades used the Nigeria Netball Federation to deceive Nigerians, that they are either the General Secretary or Board Members of the NNF. We are aware that the Nigeria Netball Federation is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria. The NNF is currently not a legal entity; it does not have a Board of Trustees not to talk of Board Members.
“We are also aware that no serving or past Nigerian President or Minister of Youth and Sport has appointed any Nigerian to be the General Secretary of the NNF. As a result, nobody can claim to be the General Secretary or Board Member of the NNF, especially, when the said NNF is not a legal entity that represents the collective will of Nigerians who have been victims of the self centred attempts of some serving and retired sports administrators to use netball to promote their own personal interest.
“We the stakeholders of Nigerian netball will strongly resist the attempt by the NOC president (Habu Gumel) to impose one of his goons (Dr Esther Aluko) on us. We do not have any issue with any qualified Nigerian woman running the affairs of the future NNF. We are aware that Dr Aluko, who is a former Nigerian handball, is a retired Director of the sports ministry.
If netball was so important to her, why did she not do anything to develop it during the 30 odd years she spent as a civil servant in the sports ministry?”