Inadequate Funds Threaten 2013 College Of Education Games

The President of the Nigeria Colleges of Education Games Association (NICEGA), Mohammed Sanusi,  has said that lack of funds could affect the standard of the 2013 sports fiesta.

Sanusi told newsmen in Abuja that the Federal Government had stopped allocating funds for the games.

“As I am talking to you, there is no single fund that has been released to us or we have gotten from any source.

“We used to get funding from the federal government but now this year, and last year, nothing was released.

“We are going to try our very best to host this Games come what (may), but I believe the standard that will be expected for the Games is not likely to be there when the funds are not available.“

He said that there was no hope of getting funds from the government because the funds were not appropriated.

“I do not even think that it (money) is coming because it has not been appropriated for.

“It has been removed from last year’s appropriation and even this year’s appropriation, it is not there at all, and that is the snag we have.”

Sanusi decried the lips service paid to sports development in the country especially poor funding of grassroots sports.

“It is very important that these funds are made available for NICEGA and (other) tertiary institution games, because if we are talking of sports development, we are talking of going back to (the) grassroots.

“And we are neglecting collegiate sports, then, it is just paying a lip service to sports development in Nigeria.“

He, however, noted that other preparations were on course for the sports fiesta, billed to hold in Minna, Niger State, just as the zonal preliminaries would soon be completed.

“Most of the zones are through with their zonal preliminaries with the exception of one or two of them.

“Immediately after the zonal preliminaries, we will compile the results and we will call for a congress to determine the date the games are expected to come up at the College of Education, Minna.“

The 2012 edition of the Games held at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State where FCE Kano won with 10 gold and four bronze medals.