Buhari tells lawmakers, No jollification trip to Rio Olympics

President Muhammadu Buhari has given the directive that those who do not have any business in the Rio 2016 games should not be part of government’s contingent.

Chinyeaka Ohaa, permanent secretary, the ministry of youth ad sports, made the disclosure on Thursday when he appeared before the house of representatives committee on sports to brief it on the country’s Olympics preparation.

Ohaa said that paucity of the fund for the games necessitated the presidential directive on the account of the government list.

Ohaa, who represented Solomon Dalung, the sports minister, doubted the possibility of accommodating legislators among the Nigerian contingent to the Rio 2016 Olympics.

“We have been directed by Mr President that anybody who does not have any business in the Rio Games should not be part of the contingent,” he said.

“As you are all aware, it has to do with the paucity of fund occasioned by the general economic situation in the country.”

The reps committee members wondered how they would carry out their statutory oversight function of monitoring the Nigerian athletes.

The permanent secretary also revealed that there would be no chartered flight for the Nigerian athletes and the officials to the Olympics.

He argued that there was no basis to charter flight since many of the athletes and teams like the basketball are already outside the country.

Ohaa said it would be economical to make traveling arrangements with some airlines.

“We are already discussing with some airlines like Air France among others to lift those in Nigeria,” he said.

The committee has summoned the minister of finance, the accountant-general of the federation and the budget office to appear before it on Monday.

They are to brief the committee on the delay in the release of the fund in preparation for the Olympics.