Kano will soon start exporting sports talent – Gombe

First, let me say congratulations to you on your new appointment.Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe: Thank you, it is my pleasure.As your name suggests, you are from Gombe State, how did you become an adviser to the Governor of Kano State?Yes, I am from Gombe State but let me first of all say that I am […]

First, let me say congratulations to you on your new appointment.
Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe: Thank you, it is my pleasure.
As your name suggests, you are from Gombe State, how did you become an adviser to the Governor of Kano State?
Yes, I am from Gombe State but let me first of all say that I am a Nigerian, and that is the most important thing. We even have Nigerians who go to Gambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and other African countries to become Chief of Army Staff, Chief Judge, Vice Chancellors and even Commanders of their Army.
So, it is the same thing here, if you are in another state, the law does not prohibit you from serving in any capacity in another. Remember, even the constitution allows you to contest election in a state that is not your original state of origin, provided you live there for a certain period of time.
Let me also add that serving a government in Kano is an honour, and more so serving a performing government like the one in Kano is not only an honour but a privilege. It is always said that a Prophet has no honour at home, and I am happy that a government that knows what it wants can go for any best material no matter where it comes from, and that what makes America and all developed societies great. It is a mixture of all kinds of people from different directions coming together to build a just and good society.
So, honestly speaking where I come from does not matter and all good leaders always go for the best materials. With a sense of humility, I am not saying I am the best for the job but I know that where you come from does not matter if you can deliver.
In the cabinet of Fashola in Lagos State, there is a commissioner who is an Ibo man; in the cabinet of Rochas in Imo State there is a Special Adviser who is from Katsina State. If you look at these three governors, Kwankwaso, Fashola and Rochas, they have one thing in common, and  that is performance, so that is why they always go for the best hands in areas they think they can add value to the administration.
So if I am from Gombe State and I am serving a government in Kano State, it should not be a problem.
What is your relationship with Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso? Do you have a personal relationship with him or you were recommended to him by one of the top politicians for appointment?
Yes, I have known Kwankwaso since 1999 when he first became the governor of Kano State, and I met him when I introduced a project to him in which indigenes of Kano were to be taught how to produce locally made dry-cell battery and this project was launched in 2001 in Warawa Village by the present Deputy Governor Dr. Ganduje, who performed the exercise on behalf of the governor.
So, that was when we first met, and again when I was coordinating the campaign on Nnamdi Ozobia, who was contesting the National Chairmanship of the PDP in 2007 after the Governor Kwankwaso had left the ministry of defence.
Again, of recent, we travelled together to Kuwait and Qatar and we shared a lot of views and a lot of things on common; so he knows my capacity and ability, and I am sure he is always impress with the way I present issues and defend them. I am also sure he is impress with my knowledge about sports and youth development issues.
So, I believe these are the things that endeared me to him because nobody recommended me to him. He is also the kind of leader that when he sees the potentials in you, he knows how to use it appropriately; and I believe these are the things that informed the appointment.
Beside the issues raised here as to how you met the governor, are there other qualities that you saw in him that made you to accept the appointment?
The first thing is that he is a performer and a transparent person with uncommon sense of humility who can stand up for his subordinates, particularly his deputy. This you can’t find in many of our leaders today.
He is also the kind of person that every right-thinking young man would like to work with because of the way he inspires young people. I can also work with somebody who believes in me, and he (Kwankwaso) believes in me, so why shouldn’t I serve him?
So, what is your immediate plan for sports development in Kano State?
He has already told me where he wants to take sport to in Kano State, and therefore I am going to study where we are and where we are coming from and come up with a road map that will take us to where His Excellency wants us to go.
Secondly, we have to improve and build capacity in the sports industry in Kano State; we must also try to run sports as a business because Kano has the potential that is required to run sports as a business, which is a minimum global standard.
We will come up with a transition over a period of time that will eliminate leakages in government expenditure on sports and to disengage government from funding sports over a period of time by providing the enabling environment for the private sector to take over. We are going to tackle corruption and deal with low productivity of sports administrators. Grassroots sports development will receive priority.
We will ensure that Kano Sports Institute and Kano Sports College begin operations as soon as we can; we will also ensure Kofar Na Isa Sports Infrastructure is developed to an international standard. We will also improve institutional partnerships with national and international organizations so that we will place Kano State in the comity of global sporting society.
By doing this, we will ensure that Kano State begins to export sporting talents to other parts of the world.
I also want to re-emphasize here that there is no alternative to grassroots sports development and schools sports because it is on record that you cannot be a Wimbledon champion if you don’t hold the racket at the age of seven years or below seven years.
Tiger Woods started holding the golf club and hit the ball when he was 18 months old, Michael Jordan started bouncing the basketball at the age of five years, Lionel Messi was admitted into Barcelona Academy at the age of 13; so there are precedents to prove that there is no alternative to grassroots sports development.
So, what do you do to a sports official who collects players’ money and sits on it when he or she knows that without theses players he or she will have no job? So, I want to add that the welfare of athletes will be of paramount importance to the government.
Participation ion competitions will also be regulated, because you find many people going about organizing competitions, collecting money from political office holders in the name of one competition or the other that doesn’t see the light of the day. So, when these are regulated, it will be better for sports development in the state.
We are also going to establish a sports date bank where all sportsmen and women will be captured.
You said something about creating an enabling environment for the private sector to come in and invest; will that include a legislation that would provide security for such investments?
The state government will also ensure that a legislations that are necessary for sports development and would fast track sports development in Kano State is presented to the State House of Assembly because we have found out that one area that really scares people away from investing in sports is the fear of lack of protection for their investment and infrastructures.
So, we believe that if there is a legislation that would protect investors’ investments, they will come. So the state assembly will definitely to be involved in this process by the Executive arm of the government.
You have in the past waged war against corruption and corrupt practices and also known to be fearless and blunt in taking decisions, do you think you can display these attributes in your new position, knowing very well that as a political appointee you have to be flexible in dealing with the people?
Corruption in sports is a cankerworm and I can tell you that the sports industry in Nigeria is unfortunately one of the most corrupt industries. You can imagine a situation where a team can allow itself to be scored 67 goals in one game and the perpetrators are not prosecuted.
I am happy that I have a governor who has zero tolerance for corruption, someone who is transparent, prudent and dislike mediocrity and I am sure I will have his support to move Kano State sports forward.
We will also develop an agenda for employment generation because the industry has the capacity to generate 2, 000 jobs in one year in Kano.
I know that in doing my job I am going to face a lot of challenges but with the support of my boss, I will deliver, Insha Allah.
Recently, Governor Kwankwaso gave out cars and cash reward to Kano Pillars and other teams in the state that were successful at national and international sports competitions, if you were in office then, what would have been your advise to the governor?
What he did was right because material motivation is effective in sports development. So, if I were in office, I would not have advised him against it. I would have re commended it but with a little modification that the beneficiaries be given houses with the same value as the cars in Amania and Kwankwasiya City.