By: Julius Konton
Former Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson has admitted that George Weah’s government, where he served as former Minister of Youth and Sports, did not do well to improve Sports in the Country.
“As a government with people from the sporting background, we should have set the foundation for other governments to follow, but we did not do so,” he re-emphasized.
He acknowledged that even though the CDC government had competing priorities but he believes that as strategic as the Ministry of Youth and Sports there should have been some level of preference given to it in order to ensure that they set the pace for the development of Sports in order for other governments to follow but that did not happen.
Speaking to our reporter, Mr. Wilson said their failure not to do it should not be a justification for other government not to help improve the sporting sector of the country, which is very key like other sectors.
He stressed that even though they did not do much as anticipated but there were some gains made, including refurbishing of the Samuel K. Doe sports complex to meet CAF and FIFA standards followinging its previous ban, the regular participation of the various national teams into international competitions as well as the athletic teams among others were progress they made during the period.
According to him, the challenges relative to the lack of support and investment in the sector have been the same challenges for years even before Weah’s administration, something the current administration is also battling against.
” I can’t sit here to criticize this government from the Sporting side because the same problem we faced is the same problem they are facing,” he reechoed.
Mr. Wilson, at the same time, welcomes and embraces the proposed bill by Senator Jonathan Boye-Charles Sogbie for the establishment of a Sports Authority. This he stated is one of the best ways to help develop the sector .
During President Weah’s administration, former Minister Wilson also initiated a similar advocacy campaign where he called for a special taxation on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages in order to raise exclusive funds to help develop sports
Providing further recommendations for the development of the sector, Mr. Wilson encouraged the government to set up a specific committee that would be responsible for tracking waste, fraud, and abuse in government.
Said money, he stated, when generated, can be saved to support the proposed Sports Authority.
“For example, if we raise 5 or 10m annually, said money will be put in the budget to exclusively support Sports,” he explained.
He narrated that as part of their plans to help develop Sports, the current Deputy Minister Bryant Mcgill who was then director also crafted/ developed good proposals all geared towards the development of Sports in Liberia as the Sports Authority initiative will be a win , win for the Country in general, if concured by the House of Representatives, signed by the President and printed into hand bill, he added.
Mr. Wilson called on President Boakai to see that as key to the growth and development of the people of Liberia and should be given serious attention.
He also urged the government to tap on the contacts and expertise from the President of the Liberia Football Association Mustapha Raji in order to help improve the sector.
” Raji has good contacts, he has good plans and programs and we need to rally around he and his team in order to achieve one goal as a Country”, He re-emphasized.
“I support Raji because, he means well for Sports development, he may have some issues but his passion and zest to develop football in Liberia is unquenched, he is the man, former Presidents of the LFA, Edwin Snowe and Musa Bility also admitted the same and commended him for his great job and we need him to help the sector “, Mr. Wilson said.
Moreover, the former youth and sports boss indicated that for the national team to do well, there is a need to begin to build the foundation of young and talented players.
“We need good youth programs, well structured and supported, and with this, we can do well in the future,” Zeogar added.
At the same time, he is of the conviction that once the technicians can focus more on the local talents and build their capacity, Liberia can do well and compete globally in the future.
“The way out is real support and investment,” he re-emphasized.
