The Founder of Gombe Athletics Academy (GAA) and Chairman of the Gombe State Athletics Association, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has directed athletes of the academy to boycott the forthcoming National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, warning that any defaulters will face sanctions.
Gara-Gombe said the decision was taken in protest against what he described as the failure of the Ministry of Sports to account for the ₦39 million released by the state government for the last National Sports Festival.
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He also accused some state officials of undermining the activities of the academy, including boycotting the Gombe Inter-Secondary Schools Athletics Competition, and demanding that he personally pay to use the stadium facilities.
“I constructed 19 new toilets, renovated 15 others, and restored electricity in the Games Village during the last festival. Yet some government officials instigated electricity disconnection, forcing us to pay a bribe before power was restored, despite 2,500 young athletes being camped there,” Gara-Gombe alleged.
The athletics administrator further decried the lack of support from the state, noting that the association operated for nine months without a secretary, despite repeated requests to the Ministry of Sports.
He also accused ministry officials of impersonating him during the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections, denying him his constitutional right to vote.
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According to him, all GAA athletes were discovered and nurtured by the academy under contracts signed with their parents.
The academy, he said, pays their school fees and provides uniforms, books, shoes, medical insurance, and other welfare support.
“No student should join the state contingent to Asaba. We have invested heavily in their development, unlike the state government which has shown no commitment,” he stressed.
He recalled that during the last Youth Games, GAA single-handedly sponsored the state’s athletes after the government failed to fund a contingent, thereby saving the state from a fine. Despite winning medals, he said, the ministry never issued a letter of appreciation.
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Gara-Gombe also lamented the indifference of top government officials, particularly the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), whom he accused of repeatedly ignoring invitations from the academy while prioritizing less significant events organized by others.
The former Gombe FA Chairman vowed to escalate the matter to relevant authorities for investigation, insisting that the academy would not relent in its push for accountability and recognition of its contribution to grassroots sports development in the state.