Gombe Athletics Chairman identifies bane of sports development in Nigeria

The Chairman of the Gombe State Athletics Association, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, has strongly criticized the state of sports governance in Nigeria, describing it as a “recycling of corruption and incompetence.”

Gara Gombe made the remarks on Wednesday during a condolence visit to the Kano State Sports Commission following the tragic road accident that claimed the lives of 22 sports officials and athletes.

Speaking to journalists, he lamented the lack of progress in Nigerian sports development, attributing it to policy inconsistency, weak leadership, and the politicisation of the sector.

“Since independence, we’ve been experimenting — moving from a Ministry of Sports to a Sports Commission and then back again — but the mindset remains unchanged. You can change names a thousand times, but unless corruption is addressed, we will continue to fail,” he stated.

He attributed the sector’s problems to systemic flaws, ranging from flawed leadership selection in federations to the poor operations of the National Olympic Committee.

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“How can you have a federation with no grassroots structure? Many are nothing more than platforms for personal interest. Elections are manipulated, constitutions disregarded, and individuals under investigation are recycled into transitional roles,” he said.

Gara Gombe called for the professionalisation and decentralisation of sports governance to enable genuine progress.

“This isn’t what we hoped for when we supported new leadership. I was among those who backed Gumel’s emergence, but I am now completely disappointed,” he said.

He highlighted missed opportunities, including the rejection of a proposed peer-review partnership with South Africa and the refusal of affordable training programs in preparation for the African Games.

He urged the federal government to take urgent steps to reform the sector. “As long as federations remain weak, compromised, and influenced by civil service interests, Nigeria will never achieve excellence in sports,” he warned.

During his visit, Gara Gombe emphasized the need for national introspection and spiritual engagement to prevent further tragedies.

“I am the first to visit the Sports Commission since the incident — not just the Government House. This reflects my belief that the Commission should be the first point of contact in matters like this,” he noted.

“I personally knew at least eight of the 22 victims. It’s heartbreaking,” he said, calling for collective prayers to demystify the notorious Dekasale Bridge where the accident occurred.