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Africa’s 400m record holder and Olympic medallist, Falialt
Ogunkoya, has described the resignation of Ibrahim Bio as Minister of Sports
and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC) as a sad development for sports
in the country.

Bio resigned last Wednesday to contest for the governor’s seat
in Kwara State. Ogunkoya then praised the people of Kwara State for being lucky
to have an astute administrator who has all it takes to consolidate on the
gains of the current governor of Kwara, Bukola Saraki.

Speaking on the development of the resignation, Ogunkoya, whose
49.10s returned at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics Games remains the African record
in women’s 400m said, “I don’t know why good people don’t last in sports. If
Bio had been Sports Minister for four years, our sports would have changed for
the better. It is very sad that he is leaving. But his eight months was
eventful. He was able to resolve all the problems he met on the ground. He had
the perfect relationship with the Director General, Patrick Ekeji, and at the
Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, nobody gave Team Nigeria a chance, but he led
Nigeria to record one our best performances in the Games ever,” said Ogunkoya.

While the quarter-miler believes Bio’s resignation is bad for
sports in Nigeria. “The loss to sports is the gain of Kwara, the state will be
lucky to have Bio has governor. I have not been to the State since KWASPO ‘85
Sports Festival, but I heard the current governor is doing a good job; Bio has
all it takes to consolidate on the gains of Governor Saraki.

“The man is simple, humble, honest and transparent, he is also God fearing.
He is the first Sports Minister in recent times whose tenure was not
characterized by any scandal. I wished he had stayed longer in sports.”