By Goodluck Ikiebe.
As part of the preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has developed a programme called GAPS (GATHER, ADJUST, PREPARE AND SUSTAIN) for Birmingham 2022.
GAPS is for emerging athletes and coaches from the Commonwealth. It aims to support the development of inclusive sport pathways, removing barriers to participation for people with disability and for women and girls to become actively involved in sports.
Development of coaches is fundamental, so is tackling many of the barriers and constraints that prevent participation.
The goal of GAPS is to offer emerging athletes and coaches from Commonwealth access to additional skills, knowledge and resources. This is driven by advancing education and supporting the development of inclusive sports pathways that promote positive social change in sport and communities.
In the light of the above, CGF and Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) have collaborated to give some qualified Para Sports athletes and coaches from 13 Commonwealth countries additional skills, knowledge and resources for preparations towards Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, of which Nigeria is a beneficiary.
A statement by the Director Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Manga, says the beneficiaries of this programme from Nigeria are from the following Sports Federations:
Para Table Tennis – 5 Athletes and 1 Coach
Para Powerlifting – 4 Athletes and 4 Coaches
Para Athletics – 2 Athletes and 2 Coaches
“These Athletes and Coaches will be sponsored financially to participate in the programme that had already started since November/December 2021 and will last till July 2022 before the commencement of the Commonwealth Games”
The beneficiaries(athletes and officials) are as follows:
Christiana Ikpeoyi Ifechukwu – Athlete
Maimuna Habib – Athlete
Ogunkunle Isau Olatunji – Athlete
Koleosho Ahmed – Athlete
Olufemi Alabi – Athlete
Gift Mark Oyinyechi – Athlete
Esther Ogechika Nworgu – Athlete
Emwiobaiwi Uhunoma – Athlete
Kure Thomas – Athlete
Nwachukwu Goodness Chiemerie – Athlete
Chibuike Kennedy Ezeji – Athlete
Odebode Sunday – Coach
Pius Asaba Idowu – Coach
Ibrahim Oyewele – Coach
Ihuarulam Jude Chinedu – Coach
Oyebola Oluwakemi – Coach
Anaeto Patrick Uche – Coach
Divine Toseju Jemirigbe – Coach
The statement notes that as part of the sponsorship, CGF will provide all the necessary logistical materials such as flight tickets, visas, accommodation, feeding and allowances to participate in the events scheduled to take place in South Africa, Dubai and Birmingham.
ISMAIL CHARGES STAFF ON PROCUREMENT PROCESS
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar has charged the staff of the Ministry to ensure full implementation of the procurement process in line with the Act.
Abubakar, who gave the charge in Abuja, when he declared open a One-day Procurement Workshop organised by the Procurement Department of his Ministry, stated that civil servants have the responsibility of ensuring the full implementation and execution of government policies, programmes and projects according to extant rules and regulations.
According to him, “the primary objective of setting up Public Procurement Act by the Federal Government was to among other things, drive the conduct of government business in a transparent and accountable manner and to further reduce cost as well as deliver works, goods and services for the betterment of the citizens.
Alhaji Ismaila, who commended the Department for organising the Workshop, called on other relevant Departments in the Ministry to come up with positive initiatives that will help in building capacity of staff for efficient service delivery to Nigerians.
He assured that the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, is desirous of lifting the Ministry to a befitting status, in line with the policy thrust of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration
To achieve this, the Permanent Secretary said, “Staff must ensure they work as a team for the effective realisation of these objectives”.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Director, Procurement Department, Mr Segun Oke, stated that since his assumptioin of office 18 months ago, he noticed the inadequacy of Procurement staff as well as low capacity of non-procurement staff in the understanding of laws and regulations governing procurement process as provided in the Public Procurement Act (2007) and Financial Regulations.
With the support of the top management of the Ministry, as well as other relevant Departments, Mr. Oke said, his Department was able to educate and change the orientation of some of these non-procurement staff through dialogue and personal interaction.
However the Director added, “the above scenario is not sustainable. Therefore, I believe there is need to build the system rather than personal interaction. It is on this note I sought the support and approval of the authorities to organize this one day workshop for some of the non-staff who have critical roles to play in the procurement process”.
Mr. Oke, who stated further that the primary objective of Public Procurement is to deliver works, goods and services necessary to accomplish government missions in a timely, economically and efficient manner explained that, “to achieve these goals, all the Ministry’s staff that are involved in the procurement process need to be trained to be able to effectively carry out their responsibilities according to the extant rules”.
