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The former Minister
of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Ibrahim Bio
says he has laid a foundation of honesty and integrity that others can
build on to take sports in Nigeria to a higher level.

Bio, speaking
through his aide, Olukayode Thomas, said during his eight-month reign
as Sports Minister and Chairman of the NSC, he made sure it was no
longer business as usual as both staff of the commission and of
departments under the supervision of the NSC changed their attitude to
work.

The former minister
said though his tenure was short, it recorded a lot of successes for
Nigeria in sports. The first, he said, was the success of Nigerian
athletes at the Africa Judo Championship in Yaoundé, Cameroon where the
country won 3 bronze medals. He added that at the 2nd Tournoi
International Judo Championship in Libreville, Gabon, Nigeria won 5
gold medals, while Ifeoma Iheanacho won a bronze medal for Nigeria in
the women’s 67kg category at the 2010 World Wrestling Championship in
Moscow, Russia.

Success in India

Bio said one of his
biggest contributions to Nigerian sports was the country’s performance
at the Commonwealth Games where, as despite the late release of funds,
he ensured that the athletes put up a decent performance at the games,
finishing with 35 medals comprising 11 gold, 8 silver an 14 bronze
medals to record its second best performance ever at the Games.

“Despite these
challenges, Nigeria’s flag was the first to be raised in India during
the games through the excellent performance of 18-year-old Augustina
Nwaokola, who won the first gold medal of the Games and set a new
Commonwealth Games record in the 48 Kg women weightlifting event,” he
said.

He also noted that
facilities development was another area in which an impact was made.
The former minister explained that in a bid to encourage sports
participation in the grassroots, he awarded contracts for the
construction of 43 mini sports centres across the country valued at
N1.806 billion.

Against all odds

According to
Thomas, the minister would have done a lot more for football had it not
been for the selfishness of a few individuals.

“Bio wanted to
change the face of our football and turn it into a self sustaining
business but the cabal that held our football captive for over 20 years
used their cohorts locally and internationally to frustrate the
project. It was either threat of FIFA ban or suspension on a daily
basis.

“It got to a point
that Bio begged God to expose the enemies of Nigeria, who were
threatening us with ban and suspension. God did. Those threatening us
with ban and suspensions have been suspended from the game,” Thomas
said.

He added that despite opposition to Bio’s football reforms his
tenure witnessed the Super Falcons reclaiming the title as Africa’s
Women Champions for the sixth time and automatically qualifying for the
Women’s World Cup in Germany, 2011. The National U-20 female national
team, the Falconets also put up a very brilliant performance at the
U-20 Women World Cup held in Germany, in July, 2010.