News
NBF Sec-Gen. commends Tinubu on stand-alone ministry of sports
The Secretary General of Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Dapo Akinyele, on Friday commended President Bola Tinubu for splitting the ministry of Youths and Sports Development.
Akinyele, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said this would enable John Enoh, newly appointed sports minister, focus on the growth of sports in the country.
“First, we thank the president for appointing a separate minister for Sports, this is a cheering news because it will allow for development we all crave for in sports.
“We also congratulate the new Minister of Sports, John Enoh, for the deserving position of serving the sports ministry.
“I believe that things will begin to run smoothly as the minister gets his hands full on the many tasks of handling the sports ministry.
“Now that we are going for the Olympics in Paris in less than a year, the sports minister will have his hands full of activities,” he said.
Akinyele pointed out that the sports budget before the ministry was split into two had been meagre because the funds had to be shared by two ministries.
“Before now, various sports have been starved of funds because we have to share funds with the Youths Affairs, which mostly take the lion share of the ministry’s budget.
“Sports under this new arrangement as an independent ministry will have the opportunity to present its own budget and defend it. We will now know what comes in to sports development and what goes out
“The minister of sports can now concentrate on sports development alone because there are may things to be done,” he said.
Akinyele cited the example of the NBF, which he noted needed more funds for it’s various grassroots developmental programmes.
“Boxing is one of the highlights in Nigerian sports circle in the past years, as we have once dominated the scene in boxing both locally and internationally.
“Nigeria has produced boxers of repute in the good old days, but we have seen our fortunes nosediv because of many factors, which include inadequate funding.
“The Boxing Federation has been receiving meagre funding, while the situation has greatly hampered our grassroots developmental programmes.
“Nigeria is not lacking when it comes to talents because we can find as many boxers as possible around, but we lack sports infrastructure to develop them,” he said.
Akinyele also called on private organisations to return to sponsorship of sports which was the order of the day before the lull.
“The private organisations should also come to the aid of the boxing federation because this has not been the situation in the past.
“Many years ago, boxing had received immense support and sponsorships from corporate organisations such as National Oil, Mobil Oil, Shell Oil Development and also some of the serving and retired generals.
“So, if we want boxing to return to its former glory, then, all hands must be on deck, we need more sports infrastructure to train our boxers
“We need equipment such as boxing ring, gloves, punching bags, a good gymn and others. We also want the state association to encourage more sports infrastructural development in their state as well,” he said.
Headline
Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna
Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.
The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.
Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.
Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.
News
Senate approves death penalty for drug traffickers
Senate on Thursday, May 9, approved the death penalty for those convicted on the charge of drug trafficking in the country.
The punishment prescribed in the extant NDLEA Act is a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The resolution of the Senate followed its consideration of a report of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Drugs and Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters presented the report during plenary, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno North).
The bill, which passed its third reading, aims to update the list of dangerous drugs, strengthen the operations of the NDLEA, review penalties, and empower the establishment of laboratories.
Section 11 of the current act prescribes that “any person who, without lawful authority; imports, manufactures, produces, processes, plants or grows the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroin or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life” was amended to reflect a stiffer penalty of death.
Although the report did not recommend a death penalty for the offence, during consideration, Senator Ali Ndume moved that the life sentence should be upgraded to the death penalty.
During a clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the session, put the amendment on the death penalty to a voice vote and ruled that the “ayes” had it.
But Senator Adams Oshiomhole objected to the ruling, saying that the “nays” had it.
He argued that matters of life and death should not be treated hurriedly, but Barau said it was too late, as he failed to call for division immediately after his ruling.
The bill was subsequently read for the third time and passed by the Senate.
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