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AFN factions fight dirty

By Obaseki Anthony on December 5, 2019

Contending parties in the crisis-torn Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) are fighting dirty, with both suspending each other in quick succession.

On Tuesday, December 4, 2019, the AFN Board met in Abuja and suspended the President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, after several allegations bordering on gross misconduct, abuse of power and mismanagement of funds were leveled against him.

Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, the board’s Acting President, Honourable Olamide George, thanked the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, for the payment of $135,000 erroneously paid to the account of AFN by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 2017. The board also thanked the Minister for providing funds for team Nigeria’s participation at the Athletics Championship in Doha this year and prayed for more support from the Ministry.

Speaking further, he said: “The board expressed its dismay at that the flagrant violation of the constitution the former President Engr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau who called an annual congress of the AFN in utter disregard of the provisions of the Constitution Section 614 which stipulates a 50-day notice must be given before an annual congress of the Federation can be convened.”

Citing another violation of the constitution, he said: “Changing the password of the Federation’s email thereby denying the former Secretary since April 2019 the opportunity to perform his lawful duties especially in the area of communicating to the World Athletics.”

He also noted that the former President entered an agreement with the sportswear manufacturer PUMA without formal documentation.

“The President signed a deal without the knowledge and approval of the board and without the knowledge and signature of the Secretary General the custodian of the Federation's records, documents and properties,” George said.

He also cited Gusau’s refusal to pay players’ and coaches’ and other officials’ allowances or part payments at major international competitions as areas the board frowned upon.

The board therefore unanimously agreed that the President stepped aside in order for investigations to be carried out over the infractions while the Vice President acts in his place.

The board also set up a five-man committee to carry out the investigation and report back in the next board meeting.

But fighting back yesterday, the faction loyal to Gusau met in Awka, Anambra State, and suspended George and his loyalists, namely, Brown Ebewele, Gabriel Okon, Ms. Rosa Colins, DIG Sani Mohammed (rtd.) and Fidelis Gadzama.

Similarly, the board noted but rejected the resignation of its First Vice President, Solomon Ogba from the board. It urged Ogba “to continue contributing to the growth and development of athletics and indeed other sports in Nigeria.”

A communique issued after its extra-ordinary congress held at the Golden Tulip Hotel and Suite, Agulu Lake, and signed by Saidu Suleiman, Emmanuel Okonkwo and Shehu Adamu, Chairman, secretary and members, approved the appointment of Irikefe Ogbogbo, a lawyer, as the Federation’s legal Adviser and okayed the appointment of Siminialayi Young Pepple as its director-general.

It also considered series of letters from the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on the alleged removal of Sunday Omotayo Adeleye as the elected Athletes’ Representative on the Board of AFN and Technical Director of the Federation and “rejected them in their entirety as they contravened the provisions of the constitution of the AFN, Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) and World Athletics (WA).

In addition, it noted that the body known as the Athletics Union of Nigeria is not recognized by the AFN, CAA, and WA.

In conclusion, the Federation declared its autonomy and independence from the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development and fixed its next congress for December 20, 2020.

But while the congress was going on in Awka, Georgeissued a statement dismissing the congress as illegal.

He said: “It has come to our notice that the suspended president of our federation, Shehu Ibrahim Gusau gathered some impostors in Awka in the name of a congress which is in clear violation of the federation’s constitution Article 6.1.4 which states unambiguously thus: ‘The convening to the congress shall be sent to each member association by the AFN Head Office at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the congress’.”

He added: “We have seen pictures from the illegal congress and we have been reassured by the absence of the majority of the state associations chairmen who have been wondering why Mr. Gusau could be violating the constitution of the federation so flagrantly.

“This is all the more shocking when it is predicated against the fact that he was a former Nigeria lawmaker.”

George said the AFN would soon invite “Evangelist Ogba to come and explain how and why the $150,000 IAAF/CAA grant for the hosting of the 21st African Championships in Asaba was not paid into the federation’s account and I believe he should be busy preparing his defence instead of getting fooled by an illegal gathering of impostors.”

He also threatened to drag its Gusau to the Nigerian anti-graft agencies, “the EFCC and the ICPC, for possible forgery over the five-year deal signed with sportswear manufacturers, PUMA.”

•Additional report by The Guardian.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 5, 2019