Rio Olympics: Senate set to probe Dalung

– The Senate will probe the role of Solomon Dalung over team Nigeria’s poorperformance at the just concluded Rio Olympic games– Senator Joe Ogba says only President Buhari can sack Dalung– Ogba criticizes Nigeria Under 23 team for collecting money from a Japanese plastic surgeon and football enthusiast, Dr. katsuya TakasuThe Senate has revealed plans to probe the roles of Solomon Dalung and the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), over team Nigeria’s poor performance at the just concluded Rio Olympic games.This follows a third place finish by the Nigeria U23 team, which gave the country’s contingent its only medal at the competition.According to Senator Joe Obinna Ogba, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, a lot of factors ranging from poor funding to logistics, contributed to Nigeria’s abysmal performance at the Olympics GamesSpeaking to newsmen on Thursday, August 25, in Abuja, Ogba said the Senate will look into the circumstances when it resumes from recess next month, The Sun reports.Ogba, who was part of the official delegation to Brazil, said: “My committee intends to invite the NOC to come and brief us on the Olympics. Apart from the late arrival of our athletes’ kits, you can see even our national anthem at the opening ceremony was the wrong one. So, all these, we are going to find out what happened when we resume.”On the donation of $390,000 to the Dream Team VI by a Japanese plastic surgeon and football enthusiast, Dr. katsuya Takasu, the lawmaker said it was wrong of the team to receive the money because, its source was unknown.“I do not think it was nice for our country to accept such money, given the happenings around world now. Money is good, but it’s not every money that comes your way that you collect. So, I associate myself fully with the President of the Nigeria Football Federation,”he noted.On the calls for the resignation of Minister Dalung, Ogba said such calls werenot part of Nigeria’s culture, as only the president can hire and fire a minister.He therefore urged Nigerians to plead with President Muhammadu Buhari to release adequate funds to the Ministry of Sports in order for it to fulfil its obligations.“So, I associate myself fully with the President of the Nigeria Football Federation,”he noted.