By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
A group, the Concerned Sports Lovers In Delta State (CSLDS), has urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori not to be tempted to authorise or release approved allocations in the 2024 fiscal budget to the outgoing board of the Delta State Sports Commission.
The group, led by Barrister Oghenetega Irohrhomahro, said funds approved by the state’s House of Assembly should not be released to the commission until a substantive new board members are brought onboard.
The group made the plea in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, saying the governor must not further allow the alleged squandering of funds by the outgoing board of the commission on wishy washy projects.
According to CSLDS, another financial release to the Delta State Sports Commission was unnecessary, except funds for salaries, until a fresh board is duly constituted to replace the outgoing one.
“Our attention has been drawn to the visit by top officials of the Delta State Sports Commission’s to the State House of Assembly in defence of the Commission’s budget for 2024.
“We have gathered from and we are in support of what happened in the Assembly during the budget defence specially with the position stated and the decision taken by the Chairman of the Committee on Youth and Sports, Hon. Emmanuel Sinibe.
“Hon. Sinibe was completely on point when he stated that the Commission under the outgoing leadership has failed in delivering her mandate to Deltans in very many areas, most especially in the provision of sports infrastructures across the state
“As rightly affirmed by Hon. Sinibe, there is a clear evidence of neglect and total failure by the Commission in sports development in the state amongst other areas and most especially more evidenced when one takes a tour of the various Mini-Stadia located in the different Local Government Areas (LGA) of the State.
“In light of this monumental failure associated with the outgoing leadership and the outgoing leadership’s appetite for financial rascality in the management of public funds, we, who are sports lovers in Delta State, humbly appeal to our hard working, focused state governor, Rt. Hon. Elder Sheriff Oborevwori to very seriously consider holding back on the release of any funds that the Assembly may approve as 2024 budget for the Commission pending when a new Chairman/Board is appointed for the Commission so as to prevent the outgoing board from squandering and dissipating the budgeted funds before leaving office at the end of the statutory term of the outgoing board.
“We have complete confidence in Your Excellency’s judgement because as a man with the grassroot knowledge, we are very sure that you are very much aware of all the shenanigans going on in the Commission under the outgoing leadership especially with what you saw during your last visit and inspection of the ongoing construction work in Warri City Stadium.
“We believe fully that despite the good intentions and efforts of the House Committee members in carrying out their oversight function, the outgoing leadership of the Commission cannot and should not be trusted with any release of any funds budgeted for the 2024 expenditure except of releases that are budgeted for staff salaries.
“Your Excellency, you have started well and all deltans can attest to this facts, we are therefore using this opportunity to humbly appeal to you to consider the plight of the suffering sportsmen and sportswomen under the Commission outgoing leadership by doing the needful for the good of the state’s sports sector.
“Your Excellency should kindly do everything possible to avoid wasting our scarce resources by authorizing any release of funds to the Commission untill Your Excellency is able to appoint a new leadership for the state sports commission upon the expiration of the tenure of the present board,” the group insisted.
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