WHAT MANNER OF MINISTER?
Since his appointment, Solomon Dalung has been the rare public figure that just cannot get anything right. Nigeria has had its fair share of loathsome ministers but the public derision for Dalung is on another level entirely. His sins are a vile mix of incompetence with tactlessness, a disturbing lack of empathy plus an abysmal failure to comprehend the very basic idea of what public service is about.
Since his appointment, Solomon Dalung has been the rare public figure that just cannot get anything right. Nigeria has had its fair share of loathsome ministers but the public derision for Dalung is on another level entirely. His sins are a vile mix of incompetence with tactlessness, a disturbing lack of empathy plus an abysmal failure to comprehend the very basic idea of what public service is about.
His insistence on dressing up to official functions in brown Khakis and
a beret- red or black depending on his mood, in the manner of some wannabe
revolutionary has not exactly helped his public perception.
But even the strongest critics of Dalung’s fashion sense - or lack of it
- would have let him be if he went about his duties with a sense of competence,
or even urgency. For the man from Langtang, it has been one incredible public
gaffe after the other, the frequency of which has been quite surprising. It
seems that there is barely time to recover from the last Dalung embarrassment
before another occurs.
Litany of Mis-steps
One of Solomon Dalung’s early assignments as minister was his
controversial attempt to ‘’settle’’ the leadership crisis in the National
Football Federation (NFF), one in which both Christopher Giwa, of Giwa FC and
Amaju Pinnick, both laid claim to the Presidency of the NFF. This was a
strange, and needless move by Dalung as FIFA had officially recognised Amaju
Pinnick’s leadership and Giwa’s appeal was subsequently thrown out by the Court
of Arbitration for Sports. The crisis reached a boiling point when
policemen were drafted to seal the NFF headquarters in order to protect law and
order.
Dalung was once quoted as saying that the Sports Ministry is more
lucrative than Petroleum and it may well be so, however his ministry was unable
to account for N2.9 billion released by the Federal Government for
participation of Nigeria’s contingent at the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo and
preparations for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. This was partly responsible for
Team Nigeria’s poor showing at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics as the Federal Government
was unwilling to release fresh funds pending the balancing of accounts. The
Minister on assumption of office promised to eradicate corruption from the
ministry.
The road to the Rio Olympics was indeed rough and it is a wonder the
country was eventually able to get on the medal table with one medal. At the
opening ceremony, team Nigeria greeted the world in their plain tracksuits
after it so happened that the designer outfits budgeted for the occasion failed
to arrive Rio on time.
Before this, the Samson Siasia led Under-23 football team that was
camped in Atlanta prior to the Olympics found themselves stranded as they could
not get a suitable plane to lift them from Atlanta to Rio. At a Q&A
session, Dalung who alongside the National Olympic Committee was under fire for
the logistics mess retorted sharply at journalists, “Who took them there? What
are they there for? Because they are under 23 and they went to the US. Now they
are having problems, does that become our business?” The team eventually
arrived Rio with the help of philanthropist Yemi Idowu, a few hours before
their opening match against Japan. They were also responsible for Nigeria’s
sole medal, a bronze, at Rio.
During the November international break, while serious nations busied
themselves with Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Minister Dalung had some
advice for the President. He dished without an ounce of irony, or shame, “The
cup that we (Nigeria) can win is the African Cup of Nations. There is nothing
again that will take us to another man’s balcony in the name of the World Cup.
We already have the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. For these, we can
attend such meets.”
He later claimed to be quoted out of context (his go-to excuse following
every gaffe) but this announcement prompted Vanguard newspapers to pronounce
him as the ‘’anti-sports minister’’ in a stinging editorial that also called
for the President to reject his advice.
While commending the Paralympic team for their impressive performance at
the Rio Summer Olympics, Dalung in an interview with Lagos based Brila FM,
played down the importance of adequate preparations for big picture events like
the Olympics, hinting of a shocking cluelessness as to how systems work. Hear
him, “the disabled athletes have shown that all you need is a winning mentality
and not too much preparation, they trained under the same condition with their
able bodied counterparts but they are winning medals now.” This from a Federal Minister
of Sports.
Bungling Dalung
Other examples of Minister Dalung’s acts of incompetence and inability
to measure up to the demands of his office include:
-
The NFF’S (which he supervises) bungled and shoddy participation in the
burial activities of football hero, Stephen Keshi,
-
The embarrassing incident of athletes being directed by Ministry of
Sports officials to make their own way to Rio, prompting the kick-off of
GoFundMe campaigns in some quarters.
-
The saga of the Super Falcons in December that Dalung got his biggest
push back. The female national football team, the Super Falcons won a record
tenth African Women Cup of Nations but despite their efforts at bringing honour
to the country yet again, the girls were thoroughly humiliated while the world
looked on. Learning from experience, the Falcons refused to leave their hotel
rooms in Abuja and were forced to embark on protests at the National Assembly
building before their allowances and bonuses were eventually paid. It was
indeed a show of shame as the country watched in dismay, the shoddy Nigerian
reward for excellence in service. Dalung was caught in the thick of it and was
forced to defend his role and his government.
To the world’s amazement, Solomon Dalung revealed that the NFF was not
particularly prepared for another Falcons win, hence the delays in processing
their payments. Dalung’s cringe worthy and embarrassing defence was summed up
in a quote that laid bare the inner workings of his ministry and its fatal
romance with mediocrity. The Sports Minister told reporters, “Don’t forget that
nobody even knew the team (Super Falcons) will emerge victorious. If we were
confident they will emerge victorious, all the Federation would have done is to
plan for process of participation and entitlement.’’
It was the quote heard around the world and Nigerians, weary of Dalung’s
streak of reckless comments and unguarded actions were quick to call for his
resignation.
Youth
Service or Servants?
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), another agency under Dalung’s
supervision, has been in the news mostly for negative reasons. In 2016, three
Batch B (Stream 1) corps members participating in the orientation course lost
their lives in various circumstances at NYSC camps in Bayelsa, Kano and Zamfara
states.
The NYSC was quick to absolve itself of any negligence in the corpers’
deaths but the tragedies placed a beam on NYSC practices and the culture of
care for the young lives placed under government care via the compulsory
scheme. Distraught parents and relatives of the deceased demanded that
responsible officials be brought however nothing has happened yet.
According to news reports picked by various national dailies, the
Presidency is considering a cabinet reshuffle with another four year tenure
secured at the 2019 polls. Going by Buhari’s unhurried style, many aren’t
hopeful that he pulls off a reshuffle soon enough despite the fact that a good
number of his ministers have not pulled their weights in the dispatch of their
duties and meeting targets for their respective portfolios.
Nigerians do not expect the Sports Minister to survive a reshuffle going
by public outcry and his dismal performance in office. Some other ministers are
underperforming as well, but while they have mostly stayed out of the public
glare, Dalung’s follies, gaffes and mis-steps are well chronicled and are well
amplified in the public space.
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very good sport minister for the gov of change
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