Dalung: I’m not aware of Gernot Rohr’s appointment

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung has disclosed that he was not carried along by the Nigeria football house when they appointed Gernot Rohr as Super Eagles’ helmsman.

He insisted that he was not officially carried along in the appointment of the German as the Super Eagles technical adviser by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The German tactician has been named as the permanent Nigeria trainer in August.

His appointment followed Stephen Keshi’s resignation while the team was being handled by various temporary hands.

The Sports minister said that he does not officially recognize Rohr as Nigeria coach but would rather the country fall back on indigenous coaches.

“We have a German-born coach but that is not official to me anyway, because I have only been reading about it online,” Dalung told News Agency of Nigeria.

“But they will also present him officially when they have concluded all the arrangements of engaging him.

“However, I will continue to maintain that we need to develop our own.

“There is no better way of making progress than to develop our own indigenous coaches,’’ he added.

Dalung also expressed dissatisfaction over the way Coach Samson Siasia was treated shortly after returning from the country stressing that he deserved better than what he got from the NFF.

“Siasia is an asset to Nigeria, but unfortunately we are a country where good people are like wheel barrows. They are only useful when they are needed.

“When he visited me on Monday I told him I heard that he has resigned and he said he had not, but that his contract has ended.

“Then I invited the General Secretary of NFF (Mohammed Sanusi), because there was this report I read that I directed that his car be withdrawn while he was away.

“He (Sanusi) confirmed that Siasia’s car was indeed withdrawn. I then sought to know why this would come up while the man was on a national assignment.

“I then told him (Sanusi) that this was unacceptable,’’ he said.

Siasia had earlier on said that his contract with the NFF was over shortly after the Olympics but the minister said that he wished he carried it on.

“But, how I wish the coach will be able to overcome all the challenges which have surrounded the issue and focus himself to serving the country.

“I told him on Monday that there is no way we will not need him.

“For the NFF, they need to put their house in order. This idea of throwing away your best and branding them with all sorts of allegations will not help to grow the sports industry.

“Every human being has his own shortcomings, but, he also has his good side.

“We must try to accommodate each other,’’ he said.

“Even if NFF will not re-engage him, the Federation should at least give him some peace of mind to enable him make his contributions in a personal capacity,’’ he concluded.

© Copyright 2016 www.elombah.com. Send eyewitness accounts/reports/articles to publisher@elombah.com; follow us on twitter handle @Elombah; like our Facebook page: “Elombah.com”.

Share your thoughts in the comment box below:

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook