Speaking with SaharaReporters on Thursday, Ruqqayah described the victimisation, stating that Magaji threatened to use security operatives to deny her access to training facilities unless she paid a fee — a move she believes was punitive....READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE |
The Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Bola Magaji, has come under fire for allegedly threatening a female athlete, Ruqqayah Kemi Mustapha, with arrest and restricting her access to a state-owned sports facility over her decision not to represent the state at the last National Sports Festival (NSF).
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Speaking with SaharaReporters on Thursday, Ruqqayah described the victimisation, stating that Magaji threatened to use security operatives to deny her access to training facilities unless she paid a fee — a move she believes was punitive.
“He said I must pay before I can use the sports facility because I didn’t represent Kwara State. This is unfair,” Ruqqayah said.
The athlete, who is currently unaffiliated with any state coach, criticised the poor welfare and lack of support from the Kwara State Sports Commission, which she said is driving many elite athletes away from representing their home state.
“There are many national athletes from Kwara who are doing well in other states. The Commission has made no attempt to bring them back. Instead, they are harassing those of us still here,” she added.
The incident has sparked concerns over the treatment of athletes and the deteriorating state of sports development in Kwara.
“Let it be known that I am not under any state coach,” she said.
“I have always bought my training equipment by myself and funded my participation in competitions. I represent the state as a self-sponsored athlete. I source for money on my own, without any support from the government.”
She said, “All my training equipment was purchased through my personal efforts. I have never been on the state payroll, yet I continue to identify as a Kwara athlete.”
She questioned the rationale behind being charged for using public sports facilities:
“So why am I being made to pay for using a public facility? I am the first female discus thrower in Kwara State, and I have nothing to show for it — except being offered ₦5000 per month as stipends.”
Ruqqayah challenged the notion of ‘free access’ to public facilities, saying: “Free of charge? How? What bills am I supposed to pay for? What commitments were made to me? The facility I use is a state-owned facility, not a private one. My parents and I pay taxes to the state government.”
She further asked: “Do they cover my feeding, training kits, medical bills, supplementation, or transportation? Or is it the ₦5000 stipend that is considered as adequate funding for my training?”
The female athlete also raised concerns about constant threats: “Are you aware that I am currently ranked as a top discus thrower in Nigeria, yet my state only offers ₦5000 as support? And now I face daily threats?”
When asked about the harassment and threats allegedly issued by Bola Magaji, she responded, “I demand that people appeal to his conscience and remind him that public facilities belong to everyone. His actions suggest that I no longer belong to Ilorin or Kwara State. That is deeply unjust.”
Reacting to the allegations on Thursday, the Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said he had spoken with the Sports Commission Chairman, Bola Magaji, who explained that they had their own policy.
According to Ajakaye, “He said they have a policy that any athlete who uses the state’s facilities to train and then goes to another state to compete against Kwara in a competition will not be allowed to use the state’s facilities free of charge again.
“And he has a personal example to show. His own son, Abdulrahman Olanrewaju, a former national squash champion, opted to play for Lagos instead of Kwara in 2018.
“He said he has refused him access to use our squash facilities since then. Two people have testified to this personal example that he cited.
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“He said this particular lady was trained here with our facilties, free of charge. She earned the stipends that every other athlete got — whatever the amount. She then went to represent Oyo in the last festival. They invoked the policy of ‘no free training in our facility’ for her.”
He noted that the Commission has done no wrong, in his opinion, especially with the personal example of Coach Magaji regarding his own son.
“Fair is fair. You can’t be using our facilities free of charge and we can’t train you free of charge with Kwara money while you abandon us or even play against us in national competitions and still expect to use the same facilties free of charge,” Ajakaye added.Read The Full Article/Content Here.