The intrigues and power-play at the National Sports Commission (NSC) has resulted in the removal of the Director General of the commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, This DAY reports..
The newspaer reports that in his position, former national volleyball player and Director of Grassroots Sports Development, Alhassan Yakmut, has been directed to step up as acting DG of the commission.
According to the report, Elegbeleye handed over to Yakmut on Wednesday.
This Day, citing Presidency sources in Abuja, further reports that all attempts to stop the removal of the former House of Representatives member from Ondo State failed as the matter was termed ‘a closed case because of the directives from the seat of power.’
There have been no love lost between Elegbeleye and the Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo since the Rivers State politician replaced Bolaji Abdullahi at the commission.
But the immediate cause of the removal of Elegbeleye was attributed to what NSC sources called “insubordination.”
“Everyone here in the commission knows that there has been this power tussle between the DG and the Minister. But the immediate cause of the redeployment of Hon. Elegbeleye was his refusal to carry out a directive from the minister that he (Elegbeleye) should revert to status quo some of the redeployments he made concerning two directors.
“He was directed to revert Mrs Hawa Kulu Akinyemi back as director of Planning and Research while Yakmut who is head of the Grassroots Sports Development be moved to the Federations and Elite Athletes unit currently headed by Caleb Gidado. But the DG didn’t comply, insisting on seeking clearance from the office of the Head of Service,” revealed the source.
However, Danagogo who has been seeking ways of cutting the DG to size, allegedly took the matter to the Presidency and succeeded in getting President Goodluck Jonathan to approve Elegbeleye’s sack.
According to the report, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, who is an ally of Elegbeleye, pleaded that the DG be redeployed rather that sacking him but as at last night, it was not certain if the request of the SGF was acceded to by the office of Head of Service since Elegbeleye is not a career civil servant and besides, the position of a permanent secretary was done on state basis.
“As you are aware, this is a fight between two elephants, everyone is being careful not to get hit in the cross-fire,” con a top official was quoted to have said last night.
