By Yusuf MOHAMMED Lawan
5th May, 2025
One of the professional players of the Nigeria National Deaf Football Team (Deaf Eagle) by name Abubakar Mohammed has debunked the rumour spreading on various social media spaces claiming some Deaf athletes has stagged a protest to the headquarters of National Sports Commission (NSC) demanding for the removal of the national leaders of Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation (NDSF), describing the report as not only false but malicious and misleading.
In a disclaimer issued by the player and made a copy available to ANN, the Deaf Eagle middlefielder warned the Deaf sport enthusiasts and the general members of the public to regard the rumours spreading against the NDSF leadership by those he described as power mongers.
Earlier, a post with the title : "Deaf Athletes Cry Out to the NSC: Calls for the Removal of their Sit-thight, Unperorming National Officers" written by one identified as Chinedum Ohanusi and published by the Exclusive News has gone viral on different social media platforms which caused confusion and demanded a reaction from concerned sports lovers among the Deaf.
The publication by the Exclusive News of Monday 4th May, 2024 stated thus:
"The hierarchy of the National Sports Commission (NSC) has been urged to intervene in the leadership squabble, rearing its ugly head in the Nigeria Deaf Athletes Welfare and Development Association (NDAWDA)"
"The call, according to the spokesperson of the Association, Bulus Nyam Galadima, comes after a series of previous interventions, geared towards resolving the infighting and leadership crises, failed to yield the desired results"
"In a recent petition addressed to the Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, the aggrieved members of the Deaf Athletes Welfare Association demanded the removal of their Secretary General and President"
"According to the petition seen by Sports Day, the petitioners moaned that it is unacceptable that an organization like theirs can't boast of N1 million in their coffers"
"They blamed this on incompetent and corrupt leadership, who are unable to launch sponsorship drives, other than always going Cap in hand to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and NSC for funding"
"They also blamed their current leaders, who rarely meet, but have been on the saddle for close to two decades, without seeking fresh mandates, as another challenge that should be looked into by the NSC"
"The discontented members said they intend to take their peaceful protests to the 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF), to be staged in Abeokuta, Ogun State from May 16th to 30th, if their complaints are not looked into, and their President and Secretary are not removed from their offices"
Debunking the report, the three - capped Deaf Eagle player who also served as one of the NDSF's Board Member representing athletes noted, "we, the Deaf Athletes, wish to inform the public that a recent post titled "Deaf athletes cry out to NSC calling for removal of their leadership" by unidentified writer is fake and not from us.
"The circular post making claims against the NDSF leadership is false and misleading"
He added, "as Deaf athletes, especially those featured in the attached picture, we are not aware of any demands for the leadership's removal due to underperformance.
"Our leaders are working tirelessly to ensure our inclusion in national and international sports schemes"
In order to set the record straight, noted the Deaf Eagle star, "this post appears to be orchestrated by individuals seeking power and personal gain, compromising our progress. We urge everyone to disregard this post as malicious and baseless.
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