By Maduabuchi Kalu, Lagos on September 29, 2016

Nigeria’s first ever Olympic gold medalist in athletics, Chioma Ajunwa-Opara, says the removal of the President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Evangelist Solomon Ogba is not the solution to the armada of problems bedeviling the sports in the country.

Ajunwa stated this in a recent television interview with Television Continental’s sports programme in response to the demand of some stakeholders that Ogba should be removed to give athletics a new direction in the country.

In her view, if Ogba is removed from his position as demanded by some stakeholders, she wondered whether the persons going to replace him will be better than him. She made her feelings known while reacting to the question of whether Solomon Ogba is really the problem of AFN.

“I personally do not believe that removing Solomon Ogba as AFN president is a solution to the myriad of problems confronting athletics in the country,” Ajunwa stated.

“If you remove Ogba, is the person coming in to replace him better that he is? You don’t do a thing like that just probably you don’t like the face of somebody occupying a particular position then you start demanding for the person’s removal.

“I am not speaking for him rather I am trying to see the rationale behind the call or demand by some stakeholders that he should be removed as AFN president. If the demand for his removal is just because some people don’t like his face and they don’t have a better replacement for him, why demand for his removal? If you removed him today, the new person that will step into his shoes will start learning the ropes and who then is the loser? Athletics. And probably he may not be like or better than he is.

“As far as I am concerned, I think that we are not doing things right in this country. This is a country where people don’t resign their positions even when they know that things are not working well.

“Apart from that we have issues of bad advisers. This is a country where if someone is in a position of authority and he discovers that the pieces of advice being given to him is in bad fate and if he tries to call the bluff of the advisers; they will gang up and ensured that the person is removed from office.

“But due to fear of the unknown, people in position of authority tolerate such things but the fact is that they must leave office one day. So, this one thing we are not doing well in this country and the simple reason is because the positions we occupy is our meal ticket and we don’t want to lose it.

“Even if I am the one in that position today and I am surrounded by bad advisers, what would I do if I want to retain my means of livelihood? So, I think that we should look beyond Ogba as an individual,” Ajunwa said.

•Photo shows athletics legend Chioma Ajunwa-Opara.

Source Daily Sports

Posted September 29, 2016

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