Few days after the correspondent of Radio Nasara had an interview with Fatima Abdullahi Bello, a Kano female Fives player who showered commendation on the management of Kano State Sports Commission for the support given to them while in Asaba, Delta state, recent reports from those that went to Delta has countered redicled her claims.
Fatima during the interview, commended the management of Kano State Sports Commission for doing the needful which gave them satisfaction and peace of mind to play for the best and win medals for Kano state.
She also voiced the happiness and satisfaction of all those concerned with the management of sports commission for good accommodation, feeding and other logistics offered to them while in Delta state.
“We are satisfied with all we were given by the management of Kano State Sports Commission and we will do our best to reciprocate by winning more laurels for Kano,” she added.
But reports from Kano camp in Asaba the capital of Delta state have contradicted Fatima’s assertions describing the Delta outing as the worst in the history of Kano’s participation in any national competition in recent times.
According to some officials of the Kano team who prepared anonymity described Fatima’s claim report as far from the truth as most of the sports equipment and tools used by Kano state athletes were old and some were hired from other states because the management of the Kano State Sports Commission have refused to purchase the new ones.
Our source further revealed that even the tracksuit and other sportswear used by Kano athletes were very old which were provided by the previous management of the commission since the 2018 National Sports Festival.
The failure of the present leaders of the commission to buy good and befitting sporting wears for Kano Athletes to use during their match pass made them appear poorly dressed which was painful and disgraceful to a state like Kano.
It was the similar incident according to our findings that led to the sacking of Edo State Sports Commission Chairman by the Edo state Government, when Edo players appeared on the match pass barefooted.
Another sad event that annoyed all the organizing secretaries, players and coaches was how the management of Kano State Sports Commission short changed them in the payment of their allowances.
They were particularly angry with the way and manner that their ten days allowance were cut to eight days which was contrary to the past tradition where even if a coach or player finished his or her games before the conclusion of the general events his or her complete allowance would be paid in full to him or her.
On accommodation, our source further stated that the condition of the hostel allocated to the Kano contingent was very poor, each room containing 30 players and coaches. To make matters worse, there was no electricity and the generator set provided was faulty and not working.
Our source further disclosed that even the toilets in the junior secondary school that accommodated both the players and the coaches were only eight, which was inadequate for more than 400 people.
That was why according to our source it necessitates some of the organizing secretaries to use their Duty tour allowance to pay for hotel rooms elsewhere.
Another thing that tired the states contingents and the sports commission apart in Delta was the report of the token gift of the sum of two hundred thousand naira to the 147 Athletes as an encouragement by the Kano State Commissioner of Rural Development and the acting Commissioner of Sports, Alhaji Hamza Safiyanu Kachako but up to now kobo was not given to them.
The source then called on the state government to as a matter of urgency put a committee on the ground that will investigate and punish anybody found wanting.
Contacted for comments, the acting chairman of the commission, Malam Bala Sani Shehu said all the aforementioned claims were lies and uncalled for.
According to him, the commission had provided new kits to all players for their matches. He then challenges this medium to confirm all the allegations stated above from the team of sports writers that were at Delta for the true situation of the matter.
On the two hundred thousand naira gift to the 147 Athletes by the Kano State Commissioner of Rural Development and the acting Commissioner of Sports, Alhaji Hamza Safiyanu Kachako, the acting chairman said the commissioner promised to release the money when the team is back home.
“All the claims were baseless and lacked merits as we did our best to them,” the acting chairman stated.
