Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has paid glowing tribute to veteran sports journalist Dr. Mumini Alao, recalling how, during his days as a lecturer at the University of Calabar, students would scramble to read Alao’s Soccertalk column in Complete Sports at the vendor’s table, Completesports.com reports.
Enoh, who is a former Minister of Sports Development, spoke on Sunday during the public presentation of Dr. Alao’s autobiography at the Tayo Aderinokun Lecture Theatre, University of Lagos.
University of Calabar Memories of Soccertalk Craze
“The vendor there received a limited supply of Complete Sports and Complete Football Extra, and students would stand in line to take turns reading,” Enoh recalled in the foreword to the book.
Also Read: Fashola: Sports Development Key to Solving Nigeria’s Youth Unemployment Crisis
“Many saw the Soccertalk column as an essential weekly dose of information about the national teams and the broader direction of sports in Nigeria.”
Why Enoh Turned to Alao After Paris 2024 Olympics Fiasco
Enoh also recounted appointing Alao to head the investigative panel set up after the Paris 2024 Olympics controversy, praising his integrity and professionalism.
“After the Paris 2024 Olympics fiasco where Nigeria was exposed to some negative publicity, I decided to set up an investigative panel and I turned to Dr. Mumini Alao to be the Chairman of the panel because he is widely respected within the sports community.
Also Read: Dikko: How Mumini Alao’s Soccertalk Opened The Way For Me In Sports Management
“He gave me one condition that I must not interfere with their work and I assured him that I would not interfere because he was recommended to me because of his integrity.”
Alao’s Thorough Job That Deserves Another Look – Enoh
“Indeed, Dr. Alao and members of the panel did a thorough job and made solid recommendations. Unfortunately, the week that they submitted their report was when the President scrapped the Ministry of Sports and I was moved to my present assignment.
“But I was highly impressed by the quality of character displayed by Dr. Alao and I wish the recommendations of his panel will be revisited by the National Sports Commission,” Enoh concluded.
By Nnamdi Ezekute
Photos by Ganiyu Yusuf
