Kwara para-athletes appeals to government on requests, as Sports Commission calls for calm

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Kwara state para-athletes have again, reminded the state government and the Kwara State Sports Commission on the need to address their requests, some of which were raised after their protests last month.

The athletes had protested that they were not given the required opportunity and right allowances while representing the state at the National Para Games in Abuja, between April 9 and April 16, 2022.

Also among other requests, they said they were not received and honoured, after doing the state proud at the Games.

Speaking with sportsbash.com.ng from Lagos, Felix Oyadinrin, who is the North Central Athletes Representative on the Board of Wheelchair Basketball, he appealed to the Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as well as the Kwara State Sports Commission to honour the requests, as the dates set to take care of their requests has lapsed.

“We were told after the settlement that we will be received and honoured during Eid-El-Kabir period or before the end of this month, and we are still waiting”, he said.

Also among some of the requests placed before the government and the Sports Commission are; giving employment to the employable para-athletes, improved welfare packages, as well as the separation of the para-games from the able games at the Sports Commission.

They also requested that the 51 athletes and 81 decamped athletes ahead of the National Para Games be given additional allowances, subject to the approval of the government.

But in his response to the calls, the Executive Chairman of the State Sports Commission, Mallam Bola Mogaji said that requests to some of the issues have been submitted to the government.

He debunked the claims that they were not given enough allowances, pointing out that the Commission even gave them additional allowances, because of their peculiar situations.

“When they brought their requests, I told them that I am not in the position to disburse government money without approval, and that the only thing we can do was to write a report to His Excellency, which we did.

“We write the report since June 29th, 2022, requesting that the Governor gives approval for them to be hosted and rewarded. We also requested for approval to employ the employable ones, and for those that are supposed to be given stipends.

‘These recommendations have been forwarded to the Governor, but we all know the financial situation of the state for now. It would be unwise to, at this moment, bring up the issue when government is struggling to pay salaries and pensions.

“I gave them the example of the athletes that represented the state at the National Sports Festival in Edo state, who were received and honoured almost a year after the Games”, he added.

He therefore, called for calm and understanding.

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