Obi Bemoans Nigeria’s Disastrous Olympic Performance Despite Massive Spending

• Mourns Former Rangers Legends

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023, has chastised Nigeria’s sports leadership for the country’s disastrous performance at the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics.

Nigeria finished with no medals after squandering billions of naira, while nine African countries won medals.

On Sunday, Obi wrote on his X handle, “Now that the Paris Olympics 2024 have officially ended, and our dear Team Nigeria, despite the huge financial investment made into the project, is returning without a single medal, may I sincerely register my displeasure with the rascality and recklessness that has continued to characterise leadership in our nation, which often portrays our country as a joke, even on the international stage?
In a statement endorsed by Yunusa Tanko, POMR Spokesman, Obi asked: “How can one explain that a country like Jamaica spent less than 5% of what we spent on our contingents for the Paris Olympics 2024 and won as many as 6 medals, while we could not win a single medal despite our massive financial investments? At least nine African countries won gold, but the giant with over 200 million people came home with nothing but a bronze.

“We invested approximately N12 billion in the Olympics, which is nearly twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology for this year’s budget. This is more than N136 million (approximately $85,000) spent on each of the 88 Nigerian contingents to the Olympics, and no single medal was won, whereas Jamaica, which spent far less than we did, a total of about $2300 on each contingent, won 6 medals at the Olympics, including 1 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. We must now question how we made such a large investment with no returns.

“Sad stories like these exist only because Nigeria has refused to value competence and capacity over favouritism.

“Consider the case of Favour Ofili, a Nigerian professional sprinter who trained for years for the 2024 Olympics, only to have her name recklessly and incorrectly removed from the list of athletes for the 100m race at the Olympics by Nigerian sporting authorities.

“What explanation can anyone provide for Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower who was frustrated by the same rascality of some Nigerian leaders, prompting her to switch allegiance to the United States, where she eventually won a medal in the ongoing Olympics?

“These same professional athletes were denied the opportunity to represent our country in Tokyo 2020 due to similar administrative recklessness.

“I have it on good authority that some injured athletes who are not physically fit to represent the country and will not be competing in the current Olympics were in Paris receiving estacodes from our national resources.

“Some of the sports officials and others who had no reason to be at the Olympics were there too, living large and eating fat on the estacodes while our country crashed out of every sporting event.

“Ese Ukpeseraye, one of our athletes, had to borrow a bicycle to compete in a sporting event. How does one truly explain that?

“What a country!” Such a shame! When will we put an end to these heinous crimes that consistently deprive our country of golden opportunities to effect positive change?

“I call on the government to investigate these heinous crimes and ensure that those responsible do not have the opportunity to do so again.

“We must create a nation of discipline and dedication to duty, where competence and capacity reign supreme. That is the New Nigeria we advocate for, and it is possible.

Obi also eulogised two great Nigerian footballers, former Rangers football club legends Stanley Okoronkwo and Harrison Mecha, on Sunday, after joining other sports fans in Enugu for a song service last Thursday.

Okoronkwo and Mecha were retired footballers who had successful careers with the Rangers Football Club and the national team.

“I have consistently advised that such heroes who have made a positive impact on our country and contributed to its development by utilising their talents and skills be recognised and rewarded.

“Celebrating such heroic personalities will instill in our younger generation a desire to contribute to societal development.

“Both Okoronkwo and Mecha were football heroes who stood out on the pitch and helped to grow our sports sector.

“May God Almighty, who is pleased to call them home, grant them eternal rest and give their families, the ex-Rangers international footballers, and all of us the strength to bear their irreplaceable loss.

“May God continue to protect and bless their families.”