NOC: Confusion still trails election process

A year after the present Executive Committee of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, led by Alhaji Habu Gumel, was supposed to have left office, it is still holding on tightly to power, refusing to hold election.

Saturday Vanguard also gathered that the International Olympic Committee, IOC, waded into the crisis rocking the NOC and asked that election be held latest August 24, 2010, a situation that prompted the hurried meeting scheduled for Lagos last Thursday.

Present spokesman of the NOC, Tony Nezianya when asked about the IOC directive said thus “There is no such directive from the IOC, the NOC meeting holds on Thursday (July 29, 2010) and one of the issues to be discussed is the report of the (reconciliation) committee and date of the election.”

Against the backdrop of some sports federations president to move for the removal of the present Executive Committee members, Nezianya said “My fear is that the tsunami that chairmen want can sweep them off. They are not preparing for the Commonwealth Games.

Only boxing, table tennis and special sports are training. All athletes put forward for the Commonwealth Games by the NSC have been accredited. Special sports is still under ban and the NOC is still struggling for the ban on Special sports to be lifted because they cannot participate in the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games in 2012.”