NSF 2022: “Seek the path of dialogue”, Sports Ministry urges petitioners over exclusion of some sports

Oru Leonard

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has advised petitioners from some special athletes over the exclusion of some of their sports from the 21st National Sports Festival, Delta 2022, to engage the relevant authority in dialogue rather than carrying out  protests that led to public disturbances and the disruption of the peace in some parts of Lagos, hampering the flow of traffic in the process.

This is contained in a press release signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Mohammed Manga yesterday.

According to Manga, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, after much deliberations and planning approved the following:

1) Setting up of a special Department for Para Sports in the Ministry.

2) Organisation of the first National Para Games in April 2022 where 16 Para Sports were competed for by 21 States of the Federation and some sports clubs at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

3) Ensuring there was no discrimination in the treatment of athletes, able or special, in terms of welfare, camping conditions, remuneration and other areas, in all international competitions.

The Ministry, hereby, urges and advices against any further disruption of public peace and calls on anyone with complaints to channel them through the appropriate authorities and seek the path of dialogue.

Hindering the right of other citizens to free movement is unlawful and unacceptable especially after the earlier engagements of the Ministry’s Liaison Officer in Lagos and other well meaning sports personalities.

The Ministry further urges the relevant security agencies to handle the situation at hand with care and in accordance with the law.