Minister supports Osimhen and Nigerian athletes in joke

Sen. John Owan Enoh, minister of sports development, says he is dedicated to making sure Nigerian athletes are treated with respect and without prejudice.

The minister made this comment on Thursday in Abuja in response to a video that appeared to make fun of Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen after a missed penalty on Napoli’s official TikTok account.

Osimhen had missed a penalty kick during a recent Serie A encounter between Napoli and Bologna that ended in a scoreless draw.

Later, Osimhen made a lawsuit threat against Napoli FC over the post, but it has since been removed.

The minister declared that he was saddened by the occurrence and was looking into methods to guarantee that Nigerian athletes were always treated with decency.

He pledged to mobilise support for Osimhen, Tobi Amusan, and other Nigerian athletes who might require inspiration.

“Over the weekend, I was deeply disturbed by the news from Napoli regarding Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen.

“Tobi Amusan’s struggles are no less severe. This was the reason I tried to contact her personally last week.

More importantly, my office is attempting to get in touch with Victor Osimhen directly in order to learn about the problems firsthand.

He declared, “We are determined to establishing the facts of the case.

According to Enoh, his office is closely collaborating with the minister of foreign affairs, the Nigerian ambassador to Italy, and other parties to find a diplomatic solution to the problem.

“I also communicate with the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, and Ambassador Mfawa Abam of Nigeria to the Republic of Italy.

Together, we are using diplomatic channels to reach out to Italy in order to investigate the situation more politely, he said.

The minister promised that the Tinubu-led government would continue to protect Nigerian athletes from injustice and discrimination and treat them with the respect they merit.

Upon taking office, he stated, “I made it very plain, in words and deeds, that the welfare of our athletes, be they domestic or international, would be our greatest priority, as we build the atmosphere that enables and secures their future success. (