In a bid to broker peace and make sure all parties are happy, the Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi paid a surprise visit to members of the Mega Handball Veterans in Abuja on Saturday at their training site.
The minister was out to solve the prevailing crisis rocking the Handball Federation of Nigeria.
Against the wish of the National Sports Commission, the Handball Veterans have vowed to fight on a decision that was agreed on during the group’s caucus meeting.
The Handball veterans queried the rationale behind the National Sports Commission going contrary to the Election Guidelines as they asked candidates to negotiate after the election.
In a six point communiqué released after the meeting, they agreed to fight on in order to restore handball to its desired position in the perking order of sports in the country.
The communiqué further stated that the veterans have hired the services of some Senior Advocates of Nigeria to prosecute the case they have brought before the Federal High Court Abuja and have also contributed funds worth millions of Naira for the project they said it’s meant to restructure handball in Nigeria and place it to its envious position.
Speaking to journalists immediately after the meeting, an executive member of Handball Veterans, Jonathan Elendu decried the impunity with which public office holders go against the rules they are expected to protect saying that he expected the National Sports Commission to immediately cancel the process and follow the guidelines religiously to its logical conclusion.
“We are not asking for anything extra- ordinary. We just want the right thing to be done,” he concluded.
The National Coordinator of Mega Handball Veterans further advised the National Sports Commission to listen to the voice of reason so that the game of handball will develop in the country.
The court case between the two bodies is expected to come up on Thursday in the Federal High Court Abuja.
