NDDC Sports Festival: N57m Fraud Rocks C'River Sports Ministry As Rights Group Demands Investigation

By Cosmos AKPAN

The fifty-seven million (N57m) alleged fraud rocking the Cross River Ministry of Sports Development has continued unabated as the International Organization For Human Right Development and Environment (IOHRDE), has demanded an immediate investigation into the alleged misappropriation.

It is reported that the sum of N57m was released to Cross River State government to take care of inhumane conditions experienced by the affected athletes.

 The said amount was released by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the Cross River Ministry of Sports Development for the welfare, accommodation and feeding of athletes participating during the screening at the Calabar Studium for the forthcoming NDDC Sports Festival designed for states in the South - South region of the Country.

THE BEAGLE NEWS investigations revealed that the athletes, who arrived from various local governments on Thursday March 20, 2025, were stranded, forced to sleep on bare floor without doors and windows while some even laid on the open stadium ground with no proper provision for food and transportation.

THE BEAGLES NEWS gathered that when the Calabar Stadium staff confronted the management of the ministry on the whereabouts of the N57m, they denied receipt of any funds from NDDC and instead claimed they borrowed money to carry out the exercise. 

But a reliable source confided in THE BEAGLE NEWS that the NDDC relelased the funds for the sole purpose of supporting the participating athletes and lamented the experiences of the patriotic athletes from the rural areas who have come to serve the state.

The source said: "The suffering of our young athletes and the disgraceful mismanagement of funds meant for their welfare cannot and must not be overlooked. 

"We trust that the state government will take swift and decisive action to uphold the principles of transparency, accountability and good governance in Cross River State, particularly in this Season of Sweetness and People First Agenda."

An insider from the Ministry of Sports, who prefers anonymity, disclosed that about thirty-seven million naira (₦37,000,000) was first released and thirty million (₦30,000,000,) was to take care of recruitment of athletes from the grassroot, transportation, feeding, accommodation among other logistics while seven million naira is meant for the purchase of kits for Cross River Contingent to Uyo.

According to the sports official, the NDDC later released another twenty million Naira (20,000,000) to make up, fifty-seven million naira (₦57,000,000), adding that the athletes are sleeping on the bare floor without mattresses in a half-renovated hall with no doors and windows, no bathrooms or conveniences at the Calabar Stadium. 

The source said: "The whole place is messed up, stinking. It was after the protest of one of the Volleyball Coaches to management of the NDDC that light, flat mattresses were provided to the athletes."

 In a strongly-worded petition to the Cross River government, the National Director For Prevention and Awareness of Human Rights Violations and Coordinator, State Chapter of (IOHRDE) Pst. Commander Undie Ashiekong John, kicked against the financial mismanagement and untold suffering faced by athletes at the screening to select state contingent for the NDDC Sports Festival billed for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in April, 2025.

The group accused accused the Commissioner of Sports Development Hon. Agnes Atsu of negligence of duty.

The petition reads in part: "It has been brought to our notice through multiple distress calls and complaints from affected athletes, local government representatives and concerned citizens that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) allocated and released the sum of Fifty-Seven Million Naira (₦57,000,000) to the Commissioner For Sports Development. 

"This fund was reportedly meant for the welfare, accommodation and feeding of athletes participating in the ongoing Sports recruitment at Calabar Stadium, Cross River State.

 "This blatant mismanagement of public funds, if found to be true, constitutes an abuse of office, criminal breach of trust, financial misappropriation and gross violation of human rights, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  

  "IOHRDE demands an immediate and thorough investigation into the alleged misappropriation of ₦57 million and the urgent intervention of the Cross River State Government to rectify the inhumane conditions currently being experienced by the affected athletes.

"Furthermore, should these allegations be substantiated, we urge that Hon. Agnes Atsu be relieved of her duties immediately pending the outcome of an official investigation.

"She should also be compelled to account and refund the full sum of ₦57 million and ensure its proper utilization for the welfare of the athletes and be prosecuted under the relevant anti-corruption Laws For financial misappropriation and abuse of office.

  "Failure to address this urgent matter will leave us with no choice but toɓbbn escalate this petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and other relevant bodies for full-scale investigation and prosecution."

 THE BEAGLE NEWS also discovered that about two local governments did not participate in the recruitment exercise due to the poor arrangements.

Several calls by our reporter to the Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Agnes Atsu, were not returned. 

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