The Rivers State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has called on Governor Sim Fubara to appoint a substantive commissioner or new leadership for the State Ministry of Sports, saying the ministry has been operating without a commissioner.
The association also urged the governor to overhaul the management of government-owned sports clubs, including Rivers United, Rivers Angels and Rivers Hoopers, to revive sports development across the state.
Speaking during the association’s July 2026 monthly general meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers SWAN Chairman, Cyril Dum-Wite, said the current management of the clubs has not produced results that justify the level of government investment.
He stressed that a comprehensive restructuring is needed to reposition the clubs ahead of the new football season and restore Rivers State’s status as a leading sports hub.
Dum-Wite noted that the existing administrative structure no longer aligns with modern sports management practices and requires urgent reforms.
“Under the present leadership of the ministry, sports are gradually declining, and as major stakeholders, we cannot allow the situation to deteriorate further,” he said.
