DIMAPUR, JULY 9 (MExN): Vice President of the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA), K Kire today came out publicly stating that he would “disassociate” from the association “if the NOA is to function as an individual property.”
A press release from Kire, who is also a former DGP, said that all activities and decisions of the NOA “are being taken by one or a few individuals.” “The other members are kept in the dark. No collective decisions are taken or ever informed but only do so after decisions are taken. NOA appears to be working by a dictator,” he stated. Kire further questioned “why officials are elected at all if their voice is not to be heard?”
He said that the NOA was formed “many years back” but the “official functioning started only after it was affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) through the efforts of present Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio who is also the president of NOA.”
The first and only Nagaland Olympic Games and Sports were held at Chumukedima “with almost all the disciplines in 2018 in which all the districts participated.” “Our association advanced a lot of money to the various associations so that they can prepare their teams to participate during the event,” Kire said.
He informed that after the meet, most of the associations accounted their expenditure and submitted their expenditures/statements. However, Kire said that till December 2020 when new office bearers were elected, a few individuals did not submit their expenditure statements despite several reminders. “In the meantime, I as the treasurer, had requested several times for an audit to be carried out but there was no response from the association,” he said.
“On the day when the new office bearers were elected on December 11, 2020, a paper supposed to be the audit, was brought to me for signature which I did sign. I may state that the individuals who took about Rs 70/80 lakhs for the said Olympic meet in 2018 did not give their accounts until then while I don't know if they have submitted to the new treasurer,” Kire stated.
The NOA Vice President further stated that while he wanted an audit to be carried, this was never done. “I sent several messages in our Whatsapp group but nobody responded,” he claimed.
He further mentioned that the NOA logo was circulated on Whatsapp on March 9, 2022, without it being brought to the notice of the members. “Is it not autocratic? Our president is a very busy person man but at least meetings can be held among the office bearers and minutes could have been put up to the president,” Kire said.
He further noted that the Nagaland Sports Policy was reviewed by the Department of Youth and Sports in 2018 after the department selected a few sportsmen from various fields, “and after a lot of discussions and consultations, we submitted the draft for approval.”
However, Kire said that the same is still pending with “whichever authority.” "Should we not have this policy ready in hand so that the sportsmen and women are aware of the rewards and incentives?" the NOA Vice President questioned.
“Simply asking out boys and girls to do well in sports is not enough without any incentives. Why would they want to do well when there is no incentive at all? And yet we all say do well for our state,” he observed.
Meanwhile, Kire noted that on December 11, 2020 when the last NOA annual general meeting was held, “we were told that the office of the association would be housed in one of the minister's bungalow and that rooms will be added for the other associations also.”
“Suddenly a new NOA building had come up and we find this magnificent building. How many of the NOA office bearers knew of this?,” Kire questioned. He claimed that “we had never discussed about buying this building, we don't even know the cost of the building, etc.”
This he stated was something “someone had dreamed up and took action by himself or themselves.” The Nagaland Police Sports Battalion, he said, is another issue which was never discussed in any of the forums. “I am not against it but rather in the manner this issue had gone around,” Kire said.
In the face of these circumstances, the NOA Vice President said that he would “like to work and associate myself where there is transparency for all and everyone is taken on board to ensure that a collective decision was taken unlike the present system.”
