Nairalanders,

I am wondering if there are posters that could provide us with pictures of the facilities that are supposed to host the Under 17 tournament. Lets document how they are handling this tournament only a couple of weeks to the event and during the event itself. Sahara Reporters where are you?

The cities are: Abuja, Bauchi, Calabar, Enugu, Ijebu-Ode, Kaduna, Kano and Lagos.

See Vanguard article below. This tournament seems headed for failure. There is no information hub on the web, nothing about these cities and what visitors are supposed to enjoy while there!

Thanks.

naijamini

Quote
He disclosed that most of the Sub-seats are not empowered by the Main LOC hence most of the training pitches as well as scoreboards are not ready but “yet they keep deceiving people that everything is ready.” Alhaji Gara-Gombe said the only aspect of the entire process that is ready is the Broadcasting and security area , adding that even the broadcast equipment on ground are obsolete but “for AIT which has installed a digital system for hosting the event.”

“Rather than the Nigeria Football Federation to commend AIT for this they are fighting them over an Award ceremony. The private sector is backing AIT on this issue,” he said, adding that the football body has not even prepared the team that will represent the country in the competition.


U-17 World Cup: LOC plots to embarrass FG over funds
Vanguard
Sports Oct 10, 2009 By Patrick Omorodion

*As NSC says LOC has received N9.6bn
The Local Organising Committee of the FIFA U-17 World Cup tagged Nigeria 2009 has been accused of plotting to embarrass the Federal Government over preparations for the event which is scheduled to begin in 13 days.
The accusation from former Gombe State Football Association Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe is coming on the heels of cries from officials of the LOC of lack of funds to complete some of the facilities earmarked for a successful hosting of the event.
Some officials of the LOC said the committee lacks enough funds to carry out completion works on some training turfs, score board at some of the stadia among others as it is being starved of funds by the National Sports Commission, NSC.

In a reaction at the weekend however, Director-General of the NSC, Chief Patrick Ekeji debunked the claim, saying the Federal Government recently released the sum of N9.6 billion to the LOC for its work.

“It is not true that they are being starved of funds. In fact N9.6 billion was released to them last week and the NSC does not hold on to their money because we know that accusations like this will come,” he said.
Alhaji Gara-Gombe said that the blackmail by members of the LOC is in reaction to the government’s refusal to approve the LOC’s initial bogus budget of N37 billion which was considered outrageous.

“I think it is just a plot to sabotage government’s efforts because it refused to approve their initial budget. Why have they not told Nigerians how much they have or how much they have made from their marketing drive,” he queried.
The former football administrator said instead of using the money they have wisely, they are “spending money on other things, like importing 90,000 spare tyres for the vehicles to be used at the event. They have also (allegedly) earmarked N1.2 billion for computers.”

He disclosed that most of the Sub-seats are not empowered by the Main LOC hence most of the training pitches as well as scoreboards are not ready but “yet they keep deceiving people that everything is ready.”
Alhaji Gara-Gombe said the only aspect of the entire process that is ready is the Broadcasting and security area , adding that even the broadcast equipment on ground are obsolete but “for AIT which has installed a digital system for hosting the event.”

“Rather than the Nigeria Football Federation to commend AIT for this they are fighting them over an Award ceremony. The private sector is backing AIT on this issue,” he said, adding that the football body has not even prepared the team that will represent the country in the competition.

@@@@

yaradua na mess

This would be a monumental embarrassment should this tournament fail to hold.

Lets not talk about the quality of the actual tournament.

Nigeria is going down the drain and the only thing that seems to put a smile on everyone's face is in shambles.
Thanks to the dunderheads running our football.

There is some information here http://www.nigeria-2009.com/ but the site has not been updated in a long time.

naijamini:

Nairalanders,

Are there NLs out there that could provide us with pictures of the facilities that are supposed to host the Under 17 tournament. Lets document how they are handling this tournament only a couple of weeks to the event and during the event itself. Sahara Reporters where are you?

The cities are: Abuja, Bauchi, Calabar, Enugu, Ijebu-Ode, Kaduna, Kano and Lagos.

See Vanguard article below. This tournament seems headed for failure. There is no information hub on the web, nothing about these cities and what visitors are supposed to enjoy while there!

Thanks.

naijamini

Quote
He disclosed that most of the Sub-seats are not empowered by the Main LOC hence most of the training pitches as well as scoreboards are not ready but “yet they keep deceiving people that everything is ready.” Alhaji Gara-Gombe said the only aspect of the entire process that is ready is the Broadcasting and security area , adding that even the broadcast equipment on ground are obsolete but “for AIT which has installed a digital system for hosting the event.”

“Rather than the Nigeria Football Federation to commend AIT for this they are fighting them over an Award ceremony. The private sector is backing AIT on this issue,” he said, adding that the football body has not even prepared the team that will represent the country in the competition.


U-17 World Cup: LOC plots to embarrass FG over funds
Vanguard
Sports Oct 10, 2009 By Patrick Omorodion

*As NSC says LOC has received N9.6bn
The Local Organising Committee of the FIFA U-17 World Cup tagged Nigeria 2009 has been accused of plotting to embarrass the Federal Government over preparations for the event which is scheduled to begin in 13 days.
The accusation from former Gombe State Football Association Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe is coming on the heels of cries from officials of the LOC of lack of funds to complete some of the facilities earmarked for a successful hosting of the event.
Some officials of the LOC said the committee lacks enough funds to carry out completion works on some training turfs, score board at some of the stadia among others as it is being starved of funds by the National Sports Commission, NSC.

In a reaction at the weekend however, Director-General of the NSC, Chief Patrick Ekeji debunked the claim, saying the Federal Government recently released the sum of N9.6 billion to the LOC for its work.

“It is not true that they are being starved of funds. In fact N9.6 billion was released to them last week and the NSC does not hold on to their money because we know that accusations like this will come,” he said.
Alhaji Gara-Gombe said that the blackmail by members of the LOC is in reaction to the government’s refusal to approve the LOC’s initial bogus budget of N37 billion which was considered outrageous.

“I think it is just a plot to sabotage government’s efforts because it refused to approve their initial budget. Why have they not told Nigerians how much they have or how much they have made from their marketing drive,” he queried.
The former football administrator said instead of using the money they have wisely, they are “spending money on other things, like importing 90,000 spare tyres for the vehicles to be used at the event. They have also (allegedly) earmarked N1.2 billion for computers.”

He disclosed that most of the Sub-seats are not empowered by the Main LOC hence most of the training pitches as well as scoreboards are not ready but “yet they keep deceiving people that everything is ready.”
Alhaji Gara-Gombe said the only aspect of the entire process that is ready is the Broadcasting and security area , adding that even the broadcast equipment on ground are obsolete but “for AIT which has installed a digital system for hosting the event.”

“Rather than the Nigeria Football Federation to commend AIT for this they are fighting them over an Award ceremony. The private sector is backing AIT on this issue,” he said, adding that the football body has not even prepared the team that will represent the country in the competition.

Seems they are listening, but why would hitch-free hosting be a surprise! More information on the web - please.

We’ll Surprise Everyone Says Minister of Sports - ThisDay
From Juliana Taiwo in Abuja, 10.13.2009

HITCH FREE HOSTING

With barely two weeks left to the commencement of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009 – and despite near absence of publicity in the media – the Local Organising Committee has again assured Nigerians not to fret, promising a hitch-free hosting that will make Nigeria proud. The Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the LOC, Mainasara Ilo was again making this assurance, adding that his committee has been able to meet most of the requirements of the world football governing body, FIFA, for a successful hosting of the tournament.
Recently, Ilo led a team of the LOC information technology concept department officers to a power-point presentation on the readiness of the ICT Department at the LOC, at their various centres for the benefit of the Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Sani Ndanusa, at the National Stadium Complex in Abuja.
“At this level of our preparations for the championship, I can say that we are extremely positive and ready for the world and all the departments have been charged to complete other finishing touches to ensure a hitch free hosting”.
Making the presentation, the head of the ICT Department of the LOC, Air Commodore Abdul Razaq Balogun disclosed that all the venues had been linked to the IBTC as a result of fruitful agreement entered into with DAAR Communications the official broadcasters of the championship.