Ofili: ‘AFN Official(s) Indicted For Messing Up My Paris 2024 Olympics 100m Registration Getting Rewarded With Trip To World Relays’
Nigeria’s 200m record holder (indoors and out) and Paris 2024 Olympics 200m finalist, Favour Ofili is reportedly threatening to boycott next month’s World Athletics Relays over ‘unresolved issues’.
According to The Guardian newspaper of Nigeria, Ofili is bewildered that some of the officials who were indicted by a panel set up by the former Sports Minister, John Enoh to investigate Nigeria’s negative exposure at the quadrennial event are being rewarded with a trip to China for the World Relays which serves as selection trials for the relay events of the 20th World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September.
‘There was a panel to investigate the events in Paris and some people were indicted by a panel set up to investigate the incident. Now, those people indicted have been selected again to lead the contingent to China. ‘It means we don’t matter at all. This is very disheartening,’ Ofili was quoted as saying by The Guardian through a close source.
Ofili was incredibly not registered for the 100m event at the Games despite meeting all qualification criteria set by World Athletics and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN.
An investigative panel set up to investigate this and other negative exposure indicted Samuel Onikeku, the head of the AFN technical sub-committee and Rita Mosindi, the Federation’s Secretary General at the time.
While Mosindi has been redeployed to another Federation despite two panel reports questioning her competence and capability, Onikeku was initially removed by the President of AFN, Tonobok Ojuru Okowa when he dissolved all subcommittees of the Federation, but he was reinstated despite his indictment by the Ministerial Panel.
The Panel found Onikeku culpable in the Ofiligate.
‘Conclusive evidence also revealed that the Technical Director of AFN, Mr. Samuel Onikeku demonstrated POOR JUDGEMENT by not reporting nor acting on information about the non-registration of his own athlete, Favour Ofili, for the women’s 100 meters event when he first got a “hint” of the “rumour.”
‘Ofili’s situation might have been rescued if the Technical Director had reported or acted immediately on the information that he received. Mr. Onikeku should be SANCTIONED by the Board of AFN of which he is a member,’ wrote the Investigative Panel/Committee.
According to The Guardian, Onikeku is one of the officials selected to accompany the athletes to the World Relays.
The Investigative Panel/Committee also recommended a symbolic compensation for the athlete.
‘The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) by vicarious implication should pay the athlete, Favour Ofili, a symbolic compensation of N8million Naira only (about $5,000 US Dollars) for the disappointment and depression that she suffered on account of her omission from the women’s 100 meters event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,’ the Panel/Committee also recommended.
