What A Shame; Peter Obi Blasts FG Over 2024 Paris Olympics
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has attributed Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics to the country’s persistent leadership failures across various sectors.
Obi expressed his discontent on social media, stating that Nigeria’s continued leadership recklessness has led to a widespread perception that the country is a joke, even internationally.
His comments come after Nigeria’s Olympic team failed to secure a single medal, sparking widespread criticism, including from the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu.
It was earlier reported that Tinubu’s administration expressed disappointment and concern over Team Nigeria’s failure to secure a single medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, prompting calls for reforms to improve sports administration in the Country.
In a statement released on his official X page on Saturday, Sports Minister John Enoh described the team’s performance as disappointing and emphasised the need for reforms to enhance effective leadership in the sports sector.
In his reaction, Peter Obi said, “Now that the Paris Olympics 2024 has officially ended and our dear Team Nigeria, despite the huge financial investment made into the project, is returning without a single medal, let me unreservedly register my displeasure with the performance of our team and their handlers.
“The rascality and recklessness that has continued to characterise leadership in our nation in nearly every department.
“The general impression that has come to stick is the one that portrays our country as a joke, even on the international stage.
“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. Yet with our huge financial investments and large contingent, we could not win even a single medal?
“At least nine African countries won gold but the giant with over 200m people came home without even a bronze!”
The African countries that won gold at the Olympics are Kenya, 4 gold medals (11 medals in total); Algeria, 2 (3 medals in total); South Africa, 1 (6 medals in total); Ethiopia, 1 (4 medals in total); Egypt, 1 (3 medals in total); Tunisia, 1 (3 medals in total); Botswana, 1 (two medals in total); Uganda, 1 (2 medals in total) and Morocco, 1 (two medals in total).
He continued, “We invested about N12 billion in this year’s Olympics, which is almost twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology for this year.
“This is over N136 million (about $85,000) spent on each of the 88 Nigerian contingents to the Olympics, and no single medal was won while Jamaica, a nation which spent far less than we did, a total of about $2300 on each contingent, won 6 medals; 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at the Olympics.
“We must now interrogate the relationship between this huge investment and our dismal outcome.”
According to Obi, sad stories like this are Nigeria’s lot only because the country has refused to embrace competence and capacity over routine and favouritism.
“What explanation can anyone give about Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower, who was frustrated by the same rascality of some Nigerian leaders, making her switch her allegiance to the United States, where she eventually won a medal in the just completed Olympics?” he questioned.
Obi said, “These same professional athletes were denied the opportunity to represent our nation in Tokyo 2020, for similar reasons of administrative recklessness.
“I have it on good authority that some injured athletes, not physically fit to represent the country and not competing in the ongoing Olympics, were there in Paris receiving estacodes from our national resources.
“Some of the sports officials and others who have no reason to be at the Olympics were there too, living large and feeding fat on the estacodes while our nation was crashing out on every sporting event.
“One of our athletes, Ese Ukpeseraye, had to borrow a bicycle to compete at her sporting event!
“How can one sensibly explain such recklessness and infamy? What a country! What a shame! When do we stop these rascalities that always rob our nation of golden opportunities to make a positive change?
“I call on the government to investigate these gross misconducts and make sure that those responsible do not have the opportunity to do so again.
“We must build a nation of discipline and commitment to duty, where competence and capacity reign. That is the New Nigeria we preach, and it is possible.”
