Habu Gumel has been advised to resign as NOC president by Francis Orbih, the first vice president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee and president of the Nigeria Badminton Federation, thesportsbay.com
Speaking to our correspondent on the sidelines of the 21st National Sports Festival in Asaba, he declared that the NOC needs a breath of fresh air as it gets ready for new elections.
“Yes, the NOC election is coming up and I belong to the school of thought that strongly believes that if you keep doing the thing over and over you will continue to get the same result. So, for me I am for a paradigm shift. Let there be a move away from the past, lets have new people, new hands come in and try something new to see how we can reposition NOC. That is where I stand.
“For people who have been there for so long, we appreciate what they have done. We cannot say they have not done anything. They have tried and we thank them very much, but we feel it is time to step aside and leave the stage and let other people come and try and let’s see how we can do better than what we have done for some time now.
“So, we need a kind of a breath of fresh air in NOC, let’s rejig the place and let’s see how we can do better than what we’ve had in the past. I can tell you for free that that is where I stand and that is what I believe. I don’t believe in overstaying once welcome. If you’ve stayed and you have contributed your quarter, and people appreciate what you have done it’s always good you leave when the ovation is loudest.
“But if the person insists on not leaving then we go there and do what we need to do. You see change is not something that is constant, so if it is time to change we must make it happen.
“The current president has been there for almost sixteen years and he wants to go for another four years. For me, if you have stayed in a place for sixteen years I think it is more than enough time to carry out whatever plans you have for the place, and if after sixteen years there is nothing new you are going to do anymore and that is the truth.
“But, unfortunately, we are in a place where people shy away from speaking the truth, they shy away from standing for what is right, but I can tell you for free that I am not one of those. If I believe in something I will stand for it even if I am the only one,” he said.
