The chairman Senate committee on youths and sports development, Senator Obinna Ogba has said in the history of Nigeria there has never been any law backing the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Consequently, the lawmaker begged President Muhammadu Buhari to give assent to the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Federal University of Sports bill passed by the two Chambers of the National Assembly before 29th May 2023.
Senator Ogba spoke on Wednesday while briefing newsmen in Abuja.
He emphasised that the two bills if assented to by President Buhari will have impact on Nigerian youths.
“As the chairman of Senate Committee on Sports and youths development I sponsored a bill on National Sports Commission (NSC), in the history of Nigeria there has never been any law backing it.
“The Senate has passed this bill since 2021, but thank God the House of Representatives has also passed it on Tuesday, so we are now contemplating whether they would have the time to send to the President for his assent”.
He explained that he sponsored a bill on the establishment of National Youth Development Commission (NYDC) which has been passed by the Senate, but bemoaned if the House of Representatives can pass it and assented to by President Muhammad Buhari before his exit.
He said “I want to use this medium to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to give assent to the National Sports Commission bill because this bill is going to be one of the everlasting legacy for his administration as it concern Nigeria youths because if the bill is assented to by Mr. President it’s going to benefit not only Nigeria but West Africa and Africa as a whole, so I plead with Buhari to sign it before his exit”.
According to him, the NYDC will enhance the proper utilization of funds meant for the youths unlike the present situation where funds meant for the development of youths is spread across most ministries, agencies and parastatals.
He continued: “I have a bill on establishment of National Youth Development Commission which I thought If passed to law, will help in streamlining the funds meant for the youths, however, the Senate have passed it but the house of reps is yet to pass and if it is done you can now say Nigerian youths have a platform which they can always meet and discuss their problems. Because I fear the way it is today, if you go to almost all the ministries there are some monies meant for the youths but at the end of it all you can’t see where the money was used judiciously to catered for the youths.”
“I also have a bill on the establishment of Federal University of Sports, it is going to be a platform for Nigerian youths; both those who are academically sound and those who are not because every human beings has gotten one talent or the other, so if you can’t excel in the field of education you may excel in the field of one sports or the other.
“You will agree with me we don’t have such university in the entire Africa, but for Europe they have in almost all the states. The senate have passed it since and just on Tuesday the house of representatives also passed it” Ogba added.
