Federal Ministry of Sports Development dares Office of Head of Service over status of Mrs Ashiofu A.P

After wasting over N9b of Nigerian taxpayers’ money on a medal less trip to Paris 2024 Olympics, and also on an injured athlete, ignoring wise counsel, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development may be at loggerheads with the Head of the Civil Service of Nigeria over the status of Mrs Ashiofu A.P.

Mrs Ashiofu A.P was demoted as acting head of the Federation of Elite Athletes Department, FEAD, following a petition reportedly written by Mr Olumide Bamiduro over the wrongful elevation of the former.

While the Federal Ministry of Sports Development complied with that order from the head of service, it is dillydallying on the wrongful conversion of Mrs Ashiofu from Youth Development Assistant to Sports Development Assistant.

‘It is observed that the Ministry swiftly restored Mr Bamiduro Olumide seniority and reversed the appointment of Mrs Ashiofu A.P as Head of Department, in line with the directive of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. However, it did not take steps to reverse her inappropriate conversion from Youth Development Assistant to Sports Development Assistant.

‘Accordingly, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has directed that you immediately reverse Mrs Ashiofu cadre, chart her progression accordingly, and submit report to the office within one week of this letter. This is to enable the Office properly conclude and close this case,’ the letter from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of Nigeria read inter-alia.

Sportsnow.com.ng gathered from sources at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation that Mrs Ashiofu was employed as a staff of Ministry of Youth and should have been redeployed there following the separation of the Ministry from Sports by President Bola Tinubu on assumption of office in 2023, but it was not done.

To make matters worse, she was elevated above her senior, Mr Bamiduro and made acting director of FEAD when Simon Ebohdjaye retired.

Mr Bamiduro reportedly petitioned the Head of Civil Service who ordered Mrs Ashiofu’s demotion.

It was further gathered that Mrs Ashiofu was now made to serve under Mr Bamiduro when she should have been sent back to the Ministry of Youth.

It was gathered that the Federal Ministry of Sports Development has not done the needful and is daring the Head of the Civil Service on the matter. In fact, Mrs Ashiofu was in Team Nigeria’s contingent to the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Efforts to get the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Sports Development to respond were futile as she was reportedly in Paris as at the time of writing this story.