Daily Independent Online.
*
Wednesday, July 07, 2004.
Obasanjo urges support for Team Nigeria
project
By Ejiro
Femi-Babafemi
Reporter, Lagos
President Olusegun
Obasanjo who has come under intense criticisms for his passive interest in
sports development was Monday night vindicated by the Director General of the
Nigeria Stock Exchange, Dr (Mrs.) Ndi Okereke-Onyuike.
Speaking at the
Fund raising dinner held at the Lagoon Restaurant for Team Nigeria’s
participation at the Athens Olympics, Onyuike informed the gathering that
Obasanjo bared his mind when he paid the sector an unscheduled visit at a
meeting in Abuja, last week.
“The
President sees that government cannot handle sports alone because of its
enormity and is therefore appealing to the private sector to support the
development of sports in the country,” she said.
It was against this
background, Onyuike explained, that government hastened the proposal presented
by the sports ministry imploring it to exempt corporate bodies who back sports from paying taxes.
“This is to
encourage more companies to join the bandwagon because we know that when we
have a large number, then it is believed that all sports will be touched by
their generosity,” Onyuike added.
She praised
the Sports Minister, Col. Musa
Mohammed (rtd) for his transparent policies, but appealed to him to give more of his time to other sports,
with less attention on football.
“Soccer all
over the world is developed. Look at what happened in Portugal with Greece
winning the trophy. That can only be possible when there is serious commitment.
What am l saying, Nigeria can equally win gold medals at the Olympics if we
plan towards it. Soccer brings only a medal but not other sports,” she
noted.
Onyuike appealed to the launchers to redeem their pledges,
stressing that failure would attract her presence at their offices to
personally collect the money.
