Dalung charges anti-doping committee to sanitise Nigeria’s sports

Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung has charged the newly appointed members of the National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) to sanitise sports sector, saying there are potential clean athletes capable of making the country.

Dalung warned the NADC members that they were exposed to enemies of impunity, and therefore should be courageous in discharging their duties.

He noted that the country aligned with other countries in the against fight doping in sports globally and within its borders through its endorsement of the World Anti-Doping Code, as well as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Convention against doping in sports.

While inaugurating the 10-member NADC board, which has Rasheed Olanrewaju Kazeem, as the chairman, Dalung said, “I understand that effort is being intensified to ensure that the Committee has a clear budget line in the 2019 Appropriation Bills. This I believe would ensure the financial independence required of a NADO and enable NADC to better plan and implement its programmes and activities.”

He said the Committee was an interim measure, adding, “Nigeria’s NADO, and the present membership has a tenure of four years, to among others, successfully ensure the establishment of a fully operational independent and legislatively backed Code compliant NADO.”

Other members of the committee include Mainasara Illo, Dr. Ahmed Shehu, Joel Adagadzu, Felix Awogu, Athanasius Okon and Ben Okolo.

A pharmacist, M. O. Lawal and Mrs. Victoria Rowland Kayode are also members of the Committee.