AFN Congress May Move Against Okowa
Some members of the Congress of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, say the present Executive Board of the AFN has dragged the name of the Federation
in the mud.
This follows allegations of diversion and misappropriation of funds, especially sponsors’ funds as well as incompetence contained in the audit report of the
five-man committee set up by the Federation via a resolution at its executive board meeting last September.
Some congress members expressed their reservations on the Whatsapp platform created for state athletics association chairmen and secretaries who the AFN
constitution recognizes as the Congress of the Federation.
Shuaib Gara Gombe, Chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association and a member of the Congress from the North Eastern part of Nigeria queried the competence
of the AFN Secretary General who he accused of not writing minutes of meeting and sending to members of the congress as stipulated in the constitution of the
AFN.
‘Congress knows nothing about finances of AFN, how much money we receieved from the Federal Government, from World Athletics, from Sponsors or how much we spent on all our programmes and activities within or outside the countries.
‘Congress is not aware of the end of year financial report of the AFN. We all know that no financial report is valid without Congress’ approval,’ wrote Gra
Gombe who asked Rita Moshindi, the AFN Secretary General to produce the man who purportedly forged his signature in a proposal sent to the AFN.
‘Signature of Gombe State Athletics Association was forged by someone and brought to the venue of Congress in a purported attempt to recall a Board
Member representing the North East, we complained and asked for a copy of that letter from the AFN But till today there has been no response.’
Some other members of the AFN Congress also queried the 40m naira paid to Tonobok Ojuru Okowa, the AFN President as refund for some competitions he was said
to have sponsored as well as the finances of the federation.
They wanted clarity on the transaction, as it were. They wanted to when and how it was approved, who initiated the refund and on what premise.
The members expressed disappointment in the leadership of the AFN, saying reports of incompetence, diversion, misappropriation and misapplication of funds that have become synonymous with the Federation have made them a laughing stock in the society, arguing there is clearly leadership deficiency in the Federation.
Sportsnow.com.ng gathered that about 15 members of the congress met in Kaduna over the weekend and have scheduled another meeting for Akure, the capital of
Ondo state in the coming weeks.
Our correspondent further gathered that they are bent at exercising their powers as the highest authority in track and field in Nigeria if the Sports
Development Minister, John Enoh fails to act by first recalling the Secretary General and setting up a panel to probe the various allegations levelled against her in the audit committee report.
It was further gathered that some of the members did not take kindly to the accusation levelled against them by Okowa on the congress whatssap platform that
they are agents of Tafida Gadzama, the AFN first Vice President.
