Porbeni writes Sports Minister Over AFN crisis, Wants External Auditors To Look Into AFN Audit Committee Report

Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Head Coach, Seigha Porbeni has asked the Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh to intervene and resolve the
current impasse in the federation.

In a letter dated 31st January, 2024 and addressed to the Sports Minister, Porbeni detailed developments in the federation that led to the impasse.

The letter reads thus: ‘I write in my capacity as the National Head Coach of the above mentioned Federation and also a stakeholder of the Federation.

‘It is no longer news that there has been a lot of misunderstanding among the hierarchy of the board.

‘About three months ago, the President of the Federation, Chief Tonobok Okowa, in his capacity set up an audit inquiry committee headed by his first Vice
President, Tafida Gadzama to look into the financial dealings of the Federation.

‘After the completion of the report by the said audit committee, some recommendations were made.’

Porbeni pointed to two of the recommendations as pivotal.

‘The audit inquiry committee requested the immediate redeployment of the current Secretary General, Mrs. Rita Mosindi and also requested the return of N40
million taken as refund from the Federation s account by the President, Chief Tonobok Okowa.

‘Some of the Board members refused to discuss the report. These recommendations were not carried out by the Board,’ Porbeni further wrote.

Porbeni is thus asking the Sports Development Minister to adrress ‘concerns raised by the audit inquiry committee regarding the redeployment of the current
Secretary General, Mrs Rita Mosindi and the return of N40 million taken as a refund from the Federation s account by the President.’

He advised the Sports Development Minister to ‘invite External Auditors to review the report of the internal audit inquiry committee and take necessary
actions.’

Porbeni also advised Enoh not to be misled by those who wanted Mrs Moshindi to remain as AFN Secretary General despite the mounting evidence of incomptence
and maladministration against her.

‘No one should mislead the Honourable Minister about the redeployment of any Ministry’s Staff, giving reasons that it might affect both athletes and coaches
preparations, citing days to the All Africa Games as very short.’

Many athletics watchers have expressed reservations about the Sports Devlopment Ministry’s obvious reluctance to either suspend or redeploy the AFN Secretary
General pending the outcome of whatever investigation the Sports Ministry wants to carry out.

In fact the former Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar sent a mesaage to one of the AFN board members that the federation should wait until after
the Olympics before sending any letter of complaint against Okowa and Moshindi following the recommendations of the AFN audit committee.