TheCable

Solomon Dalung, minister of youths and sports, says the federal government will oversee, but not interfere, in the upcoming sports federations’ election billed to hold in April.

Dalung, while speaking with journalists in Abuja, said the election whose guidelines would soon be out would be democratic.

He said government has made it clear that it was not going to nominate anybody into any of the boards of the national federations.

“Government has also made it categorically clear that elections of members of the national federation boards must be democratic.

“Anybody who wants to be a leader or member of the federations must enjoy the support of the active members of the federation.

“The role of the ministry will be to be properly in tune with the guidelines. I will arm myself with a red flag and the whistle.

“We will roll out the rules and watch those who will follow the rules,” the minister said.

Dalung said that it was the duty of members of the federations to remove board members who have stayed too long and were not making any impact.

He said he was confident that the ministry of youths and sports, on behalf of the federal government, would make sure that nobody manipulated the election.