Nimrod Not Interested In Nigeria Olympic Committee Presidency, Kuti Clarifies

Special Assistant to the President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Dare Kuti, has dismissed calls for Engineer Musa Nimrod to contest for the presidency of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), saying the volleyball administrator has no intention of seeking the position.

Kuti made the clarification following comments by former Gombe Athletics Association official, Gara Gombe, urging Nimrod to vie for the NOC presidency.

In a statement, Kuti said it was important to make Nimrod’s position clear, stressing that the NVBF president was not interested in contesting for the leadership of the Olympic body.

“My attention has been drawn to an interview credited to Gara Gombe, where he is positioning the President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation for the NOC presidency. Let it be on record that Engineer Nimrod has no intention of running,” Kuti said.

The sports journalist also described NOC President Engineer Habu Gumel as a major pillar of Nigerian sport, particularly volleyball, and credited him with playing a significant role in Nimrod’s emergence as President of the CAVB Beach Volleyball Commission.

“Engineer Habu Gumel remains a strong pillar of sports in Nigeria, especially volleyball. Gumel played a huge role in the emergence of Nimrod as President of the CAVB Beach Volleyball Commission,” he added.

Kuti further highlighted Gumel’s contribution to the development of volleyball in Nigeria, including his role in helping the Volleyball Premier League secure a sponsorship agreement with the Nigeria Customs Service.

He also credited the NOC president with facilitating the arrival of the Nigerian national teams’ current foreign technical adviser, Ryan Masajedi.

“He also played a vital role when the Volleyball Premier League secured a sponsorship deal with the Nigeria Customs Service. The current foreign technical adviser, Ryan Masajedi, also came through the intervention of Engineer Habu Gumel,” Kuti said.

According to him, Gumel has also consistently supported the NVBF whenever the federation encounters visa-related challenges.

“Whenever the Nigeria Volleyball Federation runs into a visa crisis, the President of the NOC always comes to our rescue,” he said.

Kuti, who is a member of the CAVB Zone 3 Media Committee, also urged Gombe to concentrate on his grassroots sports development initiatives and continue his efforts to identify young talents in Gombe State.

He specifically commended Gombe’s previous involvement in talent identification during the National Youth Games and National Sports Festival, urging him to maintain that focus.