The Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko has appealed to Nigerian sports journalists to always verify facts and avoid sensational reports that may damage the sports ecosystem of Nigeria.

Dikko gave the charge on Thursday while declaring open the 60th anniversary of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The NSC chairman, who bemoaned the negative reports surrounding the ongoing FIFA Goal Project in Kebbi State, noted that as gatekeepers of the society, the media are responsible for protecting the sports gamut in the country by writing positive and practice responsible journalism aimed at reinvigorating sports development in Nigeria.

He argued that, if the sports sector is destroyed with bad reportage, the sports writers have no business to operate which portends a great danger for sports promotion in the country.

Dikko argued that the reports surrounding the FIFA project in Kebbi were misleading, mischievous, and sensational, explaining that the project was in line with FIFA specification and standardization.

He maintained that some people for personal reasons twisted the narratives to demarket the sports administration in Nigeria.

He said the Kebbi project was a community stadium donated and supervised by FIFA through the Bureau of Public Procurement.

He further submitted that the FIFA project was approved by the NFF Congress held in Abuja in 2015 under Amaju Pinnick with immediate disbursement through the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He absolved the current leadership of NFF under Ibrahim Gusau of any wrongdoing.

He said the NSC leadership would not condone any form of mismanagement of the FIFA fund by the Football Federation.

He, however, sought the collaboration and cooperation of all stakeholders and belief in the system.

He hinged the successes recorded in the sports sector under the NSC leadership in the last one year to the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Everybody can see the Renewed Hope and shared prosperity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and how it is impacting on sports, and what we have been able to do, in spite of the challenges in the last one year, everybody can feel and feel the progress.

“So what we need is more collaboration, more cooperation from all parties, and more belief and trust in the system.”