U-17 World Championship: Nigeria risks losing hosting rights - Minister plans to restructure LOC, NSC

By Tosin Omojola - 05.05.2008

Oscar De La Hoya (left) throws a punch
at Steve Forbes during the junior
middleweight bout at the Home Depot
Centre on Saturday in Carson, California.
Photo: Getty Images.NIGERIA’S hosting rights for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Championship face a big threat if the Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Abdulrahman Gimba, carries out his planned restructuring of the Championship’s Local Organising Committee (LOC).

Tribunesports gathered that the NSC boss has already received the nod from the Presidency to restructure the LOC as well as the NSC.

A reliable source revealed to Tribunesports that the planned restructuring was expected to affect key officers of the Nigeria 2009 LOC.

The LOC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) , Meinasara Iloh, General Manager (Media), Emeka Odikpo, as well as Emeka Enyama, General Manager (Marketing) and all the chairmen of the sub -seats are billed to be swept off with new faces already pencilled down to replace them.

According to the source, Alhaji Gimba was bent on dropping both Odikpo and Enyama on the ground that they are from the same part of the country (East). However, the changes, if eventually effected, may do Nigeria more harm than good as it will cost the country the hosting rights of the cadet championship which the world football-governing body has already given to the country.

A top FIFA official told Tribunesports that any attempt to restructure the LOC at this stage may incure the right of the World‘s soccer rulling body which may see it withdrawing the hosting right from the country.

“If information regarding the restructuring of the LOC is true afterall, then somebody must move to stop it because this will not be accepable to FIFA which had already okayed the composition of the LOC and had given its nod to it,” said the FIFA official.

The FIFA inspection team for the Championship is expected in the countery next week for the second round of inspection of facilities at some venues designated to host matches of the Championship.

In another development, the minister‘s planned restructuring of the NSC may also spark off a row as directors in the commission, who, according to a credible source, are the main targets are said to be preparing to engage Alhaji Gimba in a battle to nip in the bud his plans.

Most of the directors, Tribunesports learnt, argued that the minister, being a lawyer by profession, knows nothing about sports and they will, therefore, not allow him to destroy Nigerian sports with his planned restructuring, which they alleged was meant to deliberately phase out some people from the sports circle. Efforts to get the minister to comment on the issues proved abortive.