Gadzama: Athletes Deserve Much More Than 40k As Top Prize Money

Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, first Vice President, Tafida Gadzama says athletes deserve much more than the paltry 40,000 naira being offered as top prize money for the Federation’s Evaluation Meets coming up next month in Abuja.

The AFN released its prize money structure for the Meets in an invitation letter sent to states, clubs, and others indicating athletes will earn b 40,000 naira and below for the first eight positions in Premium events while a transport subsidy of 20,000 flat will also be paid for a selected few.

Gadzama said in a statement the AFN does not have any excuse for not paying between 100k and 150k for first-placed athletes in Premium events.

‘It’s unfortunate the AFN which I am a member still thinks athletes don’t matter in the organization of events and can pay them just any amount,’ said Gadzama who insists the way the 70m naira Premium Trust Bank Sponsorship money was misappropriated and mismanaged has not given the Federation any credible platform to convince athletes the federation does not have money. ‘The AFN audit committee report extensively revealed how the money we got from Premium Trust Bank was diverted and misappropriated. These are monies meant majorly for the athletes as the contract with the bank makes athletes’ welfare a priority. ‘We are into the second year of the sponsorship and the AFN President, Tonobok Ojuru Okowa has not told us if the 70m naira that will accrue to the Federation has been collected and if an SPV account has been opened for the money,’ added the African and Olympic Games gold medalist.

Gadzama had last year told the athletes of a better dawn following the agreement with the bank but says he never imagined the money would be spent on events unconnected to the sponsorship agreement. ‘

I didn’t know the AFN would ever contemplate using the money to pay for our participation at the Zone 2 championships in Lome last year or pay for the flight tickets of the Ghana relay teams to the Lagos Athletics Series event.

’26m naira was earmarked for the two events but for Dare Esan, one of our board members who queried the request sent to board members by Rita Moshindi, the AFN Secretary General.

‘I am thus not surprised when Moshindi claimed 15.9m naira was borrowed to finance Nigeria’s trip to Budapest, Hungary for the World Athletics Championships. Who approved the borrowing and who approved the 40m naira paid to Okowa as a refund for events he sponsored but which were not captured in the agreement with Premium Trust Bank because the contract was signed after those events held.

‘The AFN was portrayed as a federation without planning and hence the resort to borrowing from a sponsorship money meant to organise competitions for home-based athletes within a particular time frame.

‘So, how can the AFN convince athletes their welfare, as promised by Okowa during his inauguration as President of AFN, is top of its priorities?

‘There is also the issue of the unpaid allowances of officials who officiated at the National Trials last year in Benin. Six months after, the officials are yet to be paid,’ said Gadzama who however assures he and his progressive and not the ‘go and sin no more’ colleagues in the Federation will resist any attempt to misappropriate and mismanage the money coming from sponsors again and the undisclosed grants from World Athletics.

‘We are proposing a prize money structure which will be sent to board members, Premium Trust Bank, the Nigeria Olympic Committee and of course the Federal Ministry of Sports Development,’ he revealed.