Press Releases

Under-17 World Cup: Fashola Commends Yar’Adua For U-Turn On Hosting

Oct 29, 2008 - As the Federal Government backs down on its earlier decision to withdraw from hosting the Under-17 World Cup scheduled for October next year in the country, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Wednesday commended President Umar Musa Yar’Adua for what he described as the President’s courage and act of statesmanship.

Fashola who fielded questions from newsmen at the Oceanview, Victoria Island venue of the 8th Conference of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), said the decision of the President to retrace his steps was an act of courage, adding that it takes courage for a leader to accept that a decision he has taken requires reflection.

“One aspect of this decision is courage, the courage of a leader to accept that a decision he has taken requires reflection and it takes men of courage to do this, to retrace their steps back”, the Governor said adding that most people would have started to hide and fight.

According to him, “The leadership of the President must be commended for this courage and act of statesmanship as far as I am concerned”. He described democracy as a two way thing whereby the people have a say and can express their wishes to their leaders and the leaders can also support adding, “That is the very significant aspect of this decision”.

On the contribution of the Lagos State Government to the hosting of the tournament, Governor Fashola declared, “We are already contributing, we are preparing, we are renovating our facilities”, adding, however, that any assistance from the Federal Government would also be very helpful.

“Of course it will help if we have any support from the Federal Government as they make the National Budget for year 2009. We are already preparing and every assistance will be useful to us”, the Governor said.

The Federal Government Tuesday rescinded its earlier decision to withdraw from hosting the FIFA Under-17 World Cup even as it scaled down the budget of a whopping N35.5billion earlier presented to it by the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to N9 billion. Also the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is to oversee the role of the Federal Government in the tournament.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Segun Adeniyi said the Federal Government had a rethink after giving due consideration to representations made by the global football community and other stakeholders

Governor Fashola was among many notable Nigerians and members of the football community who called on the Federal Government to have a re-thinkon its decision to give up Nigeria’s hosting rights for next year’s tournament.

Speaking from the City of Sao Paolo in Brazil on his way from an official engagement in Argentina , Governor Fashola said his call was informed by the fact that relinquishing the nation’s hosting rights was not in the national interest.

He said in terms of diversifying the nation’s economy from an oil-dependent economy to such areas as Eco-Tourism, there was no better avenue than one being offered by the U-17 hosting in which thousands of players would come into the country with their managers, interpreters, doctors and other allied personnel as well as visitors who would then become ambassadors to preach from practical experience that the country is safe for foreign investment.