wow! yar adua said we have more serious problems than the funding of the $30m event.

The president of CAF, Issa Hayatou, has responded by saying he is "extremely disappointed and shocked" by the move.  I am also disappointed. Where are the adenugas, dangotes etc.  The giant of Africa should not spoil her name.  Our name is on the line.

Anyways, no light, no security and no good roads. So hosting such a global even will further exposed the dark side of nigeria and go ahead to contradict our adverts on CNN and other international media. Wow!! This is a moment of truth.

Nigeria gives up under-17 event

The BBC has learned that Nigeria's Football Federation (NFF) has told Fifa it wants to pull out of hosting the Under-17 World Cup in 2009.

The Nigerian government had already said that funding the $30 million budget was not a priority.

Now the BBC understands that the NFF has already renounced the right to host the global event.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/7687611.stm

This is incredible and total madness and insensitivity on the part of federal government, the have not taken into consideration on what the long term consequences will be for nigeria in the commity of nations, i just lost words to express this stupidity.why dont they reject it outrightly in the first place.is $30m close to what umoru spends on hospital bills?

HUMN!

GOES TO SHOW U THAT THE FUCKING NIGGER CALLED NIGERIA IS DAMN BROKE. 


THIS HAUSA PEOPLE IS AT IT AGAIN DEY WILL NEVER RELENT IN PUTTING NIGERIA IN A POOL OF DISGRACE. WHAT A PITTY, THANK GOD IT WAS NOT WORLD CUP IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALOT MESSIER

THANK GOD IT WAS NOT WORLD CUP IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALOT MESSIER

dont you know that this will affect south africa 2010

zukkymike:




don't you know that this will affect south africa 2010

I was about to say the same thing,Africa is one country to the world.since there've been stories about unreadiness of SA in the past,european journalists will link this story to the 2010 one,you'll see.

This is damn shit!! What has this president achieved for this country since his one year in office? Obasanjo remains the best achiever we have had in Nigeria. He couldn't have allowed this to happen. Let something be done to reverse this o!!!!

i feel like shading tears,if this man knows what sports means for nigerians he should reverse that decision.

hehehehe. . . . .

this is good news.

A country like Nigeria has no business spending money based on hubris.

30 million dollars equates to three billion naira. I bet the Niger bridge could
do with such money.

I for one support it.

There are more imprtant things to do with the money . How can we be hosting world cups when we can't even assure citizens of constant electricity in any state. Hte decision to withdraw is sound in my opinion. the issue is will the cut back money be used to do something that will benefit the country as an equivalent of the opportunity cost of not hosting the event.

There are more imprtant things to do with the money . How can we be hosting world cups when we can't even assure citizens of constant electricity in any state. Hte decision to withdraw is sound in my opinion. the issue is will the cut back money be used to do something that will benefit the country as an equivalent of the opportunity cost of not hosting the event.

why dont they reject it when the hosting right was given to them last year?
does that money worth our politicians hospital bill abroad?
Did they consider our image b4 taking the decision?

We should not have expressed desire to host any international event of such magnitude in the first place.
Basic infrastructure needed for such events are non existent, and to be candid, the disgrace that would have come upon the nation would have been far greater had we proceeded.

Good riddance, now lets focus on developing our nation, roads, hospitals, power, investing particularly in education and promoting small business, thats what will prosper us and win us respect amongst nations.

The sick president said the right words. Nigeria has better thing to do with $30m. Boy if your house is on fire, you dont go about chasing rat. After all the problem of this country started with festac when this country hosted other countries and their gods. And most of these country left without their gods, which are now responsible for the instability of this country and the crisis in Niger delta (source of the fund for the festival. Abeg nigerians is time we used our brains. [color=#990000][/color]

Gytee:

The sick president said the right words. Nigeria has better thing to do with $30m. Boy if your house is on fire, you don't go about chasing rat. After all the problem of this country started with festac when this country hosted other countries and their gods. And most of these country left without their gods, which are now responsible for the instability of this country and the crisis in Niger delta (source of the fund for the festival. Abeg nigerians is time we used our brains. [color=#990000][/color]

True talk bro!

Anyone can make a mistake of accepting to host something that you cannot afford. It is a REAL man that is able to stand up and accept that he has made a mistake . Well done Nigeria ; well done Yaradua. Let us stop spending money foolishly and put our home in order.

This is one of the very few good decisions that this administration has taken in my opinion.

Nigeria as a country today has no business spending a whopping $30m dollars on a sports jamboree just to impress some other countries.

Whether this government is doing anything or slow in doing anything or not, but a $30m sports fiesta is miles off on the priority list. That amount can sink water boreholes in all the communities in one State or more. The same amount can help in providing the needed health care facilities in the rural areas and so many other sectors of our economy that needs emergency intervention.

Besides, Yaradua did not say that the government will not support the hosting of the event, what he harped on was that the LOC must go source the funding of the fiesta from the private sector. Then the question will be, what is bad in asking the LOC to go source their own funds?

It is an open secret that since Nigeria started hosting any sports events, the organisers of such events have NEVER declared that Nigeria made any financial gain from hosting such an event, like what is obtainable in other climes when they host.

In Nigeria it is always a bazaar time, a time to plunder and squander State resources in the name of hosting an event. Thank God this government got wiser!

The reason why the current sports egg heads like Amos Adamu and co will never subscribe to or achieve sourcing the funds to host the championship from the private sector is simple and bare. With private sector money, you MUST be TRANSPARENT, ACCOUNTABLE and PROFIT driven. Once these traits are not running in your veins, then forget it and unfortunately, those running sports in this country fall short of this traits.

For those crying (like Hayatu et al) that this will shatter the image of Nigeria and the continent, I say hold your PEACE! They are simply engaging on ego massaging. Which image if I may ask?

On the contrary, I think it will improve our image. The rest of the SINCERE friends of Nigeria will know that YES, Nigeria has decided to tell itself the truth for once and doing what is right rather than grandstanding and showboating.

Let us not be in a hurry to forget why the rest of the world felt that Nigeria should not host the Commonwealth Games of 2014.

Let's us all be calm and resist the temptation of creating another arena to allow all these already over-feed politicians and their co horts to get fatter by plundering our collective resources in the name of hosting FIFA U17 championship.

It is a pity that even our U17 could not qualify for the event, it may be painful watching the rest of the game on TV whileas we could have been in the stadium live, it is a necessary sacrifice we all need to make for better tommorrow

Again thank you Mr. President for calling off their bluff

Hosting of under 17 world cup with $30m is an Economic waste .The federal goverment should use this money to create jobs or infastructures.

I think it is not only an economic waste but also a criminal economic waste

$30 million no be beans o

Yes! Yes! Yes! I like it! I love it! I want some more of it!

next, to stop offering to host the african womens championship anytime another african country can't host it.

don't get me wrong I'm not saying we shouldnt participate in anything sports. but we should not get used by CAF or WAFU or watever they call themselves as backup plan whenever someborri else messes up. e.g. nations cup 2000, wasnt it meant to be hosted by zimbabwe but cos zimbabwe couldnt host it. CAF dumped it on nigeria and ghana. cos i sure know that impromptu money or even this $30m is enough to put enough desks and chairs in all the public schools in naija. (ok maybe not but u get my point)

hmmmm what next, _thinking cut off as many cash cows as possible. do u need me to list these cash cows or u guys know what they are?

I think I'm beginning to like this President.  It seems as if he has reasonable priorities.

seun I'm not liking this president yet. this single action might be a fluke, he needs to do more of the same to buy me over. but surely closing down a TV station or the SSS harassing and arresting people is not helping.

Am highly disappointed with this!!!

The federal government should not stop at that. They should proceed to arrest those that prepared the budget. It is very clear that these heartless criminals were out to further fleece the country of her hard earned resouces by budgetting a whopping and unbelievable 17billion for tv coverage alone. NTA and LOC members must be made to tell Nigerians how they arrived at these figures. Correction: The amount BUDGETED was N34 billion which is about $300 million and not $30 million

so na even $300M. abeg dem suppose soji say 75% of that money na waste aka money into some peoples pocket.

I have a mixed feeling about the statement Mr President made. As much as i appreciate his proper placement of priority, i think this should have been decided before now. i remember FIFA officials were in Nigeria few months ago to confirm our readiness, but the president through the Minister for Sports stated that the country was very ready for the competition. So why this U-turn with barely 1 year to the beginning of the competition?
I am of the opinion that the Presidency should look into how to make proceeds from the competition and how to reduce cost,

Our country's image (once again) is at stake. If we fail to host this, 'History' may never forgive us.

Make una beg oga President ooo

I think yarafukup need to be schooled about international policy. or did he think all he need to do is broadcast rule of law day and night.


Well he has forgotten de fame coja brought to nigeria and how many of our sporting infastructure was uplifted to international standard then. Another result of hosting such competition is the multi milliondollar stadium in abuja, if not 4 such competitions do we ever think of facelifting our sporting infastructures.

i have always said yaradua is always a fault in the project called Nigeria. i mean he is de dumbest presidentwe ever had

Na waoh! We cant host the junior world cup yet we were bidding for the senior one.
Thank God we were denied the right of hosting.
But the money involved is much Oh!!!

great news, considering how horrendous nigeria 99 was, why should we be hosting world soccer tournaments. education and healthcare are much more important issues than a tournament in which most nigerians won't be able to afford to attend.

category:


But the money involved is much Oh!!!

it's an international tournament and not your everyday owambe

well its not a prority, but at least jobs will be creatd, this year budget was 2 trillion have you noticd anything apart from recurrent expenditure which project have you noticed in your enviroment. the arewa click dont believe in privatisation cos its a veritable source of employement, goverment controls everything and all the money is used ion paying salaries and 4 greasng themselves with fertlizer schemes , govs and politcians are stealing the money. if crude oil prices continue to go down i really fear for our dear country

ok 300 mil is unreasonable

Why did we bid in the first place Dont tell me the hosting right was forced on us. Now less than a year to the game we duck out.

To think of it that Nigeria submitted a Bid for the 2010 world cup. So if we had been awarded that bid that is how we would pull out in 2009?

Straight from Naija Only in Naija