FG To Release Funds For Rio Olympics In Brazil

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate release of funds budgeted for Nigeria’s successful participation in the Rio Olympics in Brazil. The president gave the order at the official handover of Team Nigeria to the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the order became imperative given the Federal Government’s commitment to Nigeria’s successful outing in 2016-rio-olympics logo Brazil The president, futher warned the athletes against any act capable of tarnishing the country’s image and charged them to be worthy ambassadors of Nigeria.“Let me equally assure you that the Federal Government is fully committed to our delegation’s successful participation in the Rio Olympic Games and will ensure that funds budgeted for the Games are released without further delay. “We are all aware of our nation’s dwindling revenue and the current global economic challenges.

 “It is therefore imperative that funds provided for the games are utilized judiciously. “In this regard, any official who has no business at the games should stay at home to cheer the team from here and if they must travel to the Olympics, they should do so at their own expense. “As the Federal Government formally hands over our athletes and officials for the Rio Olympics to the Nigeria Olympic Committee today, I want to charge all athletes and team officials going to the Olympic Games to be worthy ambassadors of our great country, both on the field of play and outside the sporting arena.

 “The eyes of the global community are on you and as such, you should desist from acts that could dent the image of our great country, Nigeria.’’ Mr. Buhari observed that apart from qualifying for the Olympic Games, Nigerian athletes also qualified for the Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games comes up immediately after the Olympic Games. He congratulated all the athletes on their qualifications for these Games “even in the face of daunting challenges in their preparations’’.

 In a related development, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that anybody who does not have any business in the Rio 2016 Games should not be part of the contingent. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth ad Sports, Chinyeaka Ohaa, 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.