NOC yet to inform Ndanusa of disqualification from polls
From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja
TWO weeks after the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) disqualified the Chairman of National Sports Commission (NSC) and Minister of Sports, Sani Ndanusa, from contesting its general elections slated for December 10 in Dutse, the committee is yet to formerly communicate the decision to the minister.
The NOC rose from a meeting on the 16th of this month to announce the minister's disqualification from the elections on the ground that he had not served on the executive board of the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) for up to four years as provided by the body's constitution.
Speaking with The Guardian on Wednesday, the minister wondered why the NOC was finding it difficult to formerly communicate to him his disqualification, even though the CAT head office in Tunisia had cleared the air on his membership of the executive committee.
Ndanusa warned that the NOC executive members were working contrary to the provisions of the constitution of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the conduct of elections, adding that it had infringed on his right as a person simply because he wanted to contest an election in the NOC.
"The fact that I have resolved to transform the face of sports in the country has brought a lot of infringement on my right as a person," he said. "As a minister of the Federal Republic, my CV was screened by the highest legislative bodies in the country (the Senate and the House of Representatives) but the NOC officials insisted that I must present my CV, which I loyally obliged."
He regretted that the NOC could not invite him to defend himself during the screening of candidates before going on air to announce his disqualification, instead the body invited him to a meeting on a Wednesday, knowing fully that he would not make it due to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
Meanwhile, the CAT executive committee has absolved the minister of claims that he forged a letter from its head office to qualify for the NOC election. Former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Gara Gombe, had earlier accused the minister of forging a letter from CAT head office to clear him for the election.
A member of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) board, Hamisu Bala, on Wednesday showed The Guardian a letter dated November 25, 2009, where CAT executive committee stressed that the letter stating that Ndanusa had served at the continental body's executive for eight years was genuine and duly authorised by CAT President, Tarik Charif.
Bala explained that since the CAT president was not resident in Tunis, his signature was kept in the CAT data system for pressing issues like the case of the minister, stating that Charif's signature was always appended to important documents after getting his permission to do so.
