The Acting Director of Kogi State Sports Council, Alhaji Hadi Opotu is currently on hot seat over an undelivered fund released to him for the media to cover the maiden edition of the National Youth Games in Abuja last year.
Top source with name withheld said that the State Director of Sports neither invited the media houses nor did release the funds for the sports journalists to accompany the team for the competition.
According to reliable source, the affected media establishments which were denied invitations to accompany the state contingents to the last year games are The Graphics, Radio Kogi and NTA Lokoja – all based in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital.
We learnt that the “cat” was let out of the bag penultimate week when the affected media houses were foot-dragging in covering an assignment at the instance of the sports commissioner.
However, inside source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that when the Commissioner learnt what had transpired between his Director of Sports and the media house, he summoned the Director of Sports to explain.
We further gathered that the Commissioner during a meeting with Director was miffed over the shocking act and further blamed the Director for his action and directed him to as matter of urgency settle with the journalists who were shortchanged by his ignoble action.
The Director was also cautioned on his relationship with members of the press to enhance the image of sports in the state.
However, it was gathered that at the time of going to the Press, the Director has not mend fences with the affected Sports Journalists who are spoiling for a showdown expect he settles with them and change high-handedness, unfriendly posture and fetish threats on the media.
