Stories by John Egbokhan

A former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Anthony Kojo Williams has described the sack of the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Bolaji Abdullahi as a political decision.

Abdullahi

Abdullahi was relived of his duties on Wednesday by President Goodluck Jonathan, who immediately mandated Tamuno Danagogo from Rivers State to take over No reason was given for his removal but speaking in an interview with Sports Vanguard, Kojo said Adbullahi’s sack did not to him as a surprise  given the current political undercurrents in Kwara State.

“This is all political. Things are happening in the country and some people have to pay the price for the politicking. When Abdullahi’s godfather (Senator Bukola Saraki) and state Governor defected to the APC, it was clear that the lMinister’s days in office were numbered.

“You can’t be here and there and for the President, it was better to do away with persons who he felt were perceived to be still loyal to their political mentors”,  said Kojo.

It’s unfortunate Abdullahi was  sacked —Gara

Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Sports, Shuaib Ahmed Gara has said that it was unfortunate that Bolaji Abdullahi was sacked as Sports Minister by President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a telephone interview with Sports Vanguard, Gara said that it was also unfortunate hat the Sports family was losing Adbullahi, who he said started badly at the London Olympic Games in 2002 but ended well, with the strong of success stories recorded by the nation’s sports teams in continental and world championships.

While stating that Abdullahi’s sack was political, Gara said he was surprised that the former had survived all previous moves to remove him because of the opposition of  his political godfather Senator Bukola Saraki and the Kwara State Governor to the second term bid of President Jonathan.

“It’s unfortunate that Abdullahi was sacked because under his tenure, our sports thrived. Though he started on a poor note at the London Olympic Games, he reinvented himself and came back stronger, finishing in some style.

“It’s unfortunate for our sports that we have lost a good person, who meant well and did do well to develop our sports. But his sack did not surprise me because of the politicking in his home state of Kwara and that he survived it till now, speaks volume of his record.

“Maybe, his survival was as a result of the euphoria of the Super Eagles victory at the last Nations Cup but all that is now history as we have seen”, said Gara.