Rumbles in Athletics Federation as panel throws management in juggernaut against members

Posted : 24 November 2023

Former international athlete Seigha Porbeni has described a report by an audit committee, set up by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to investigate its finances, as a 'big distraction.' The report is now causing ripples among board members.

The AFN established a five-man committee on September 16 to investigate its finances. The committee, led by its First Vice President, Tafida Gadzama, included Victor Okorie, Samuel Onikeku, Oludare Esan, and Mrs. Maria Worphil as members.

The panel's report raised questions about some financial transactions made by AFN Secretary General Mrs. Rita Moshindi. However, some individuals, including athletes and coaches, have criticized the report, particularly its objection to the refund of N40 million, which AFN President Chief Tonobok Okowa lent to the federation to organize some competitions, including the Golden League. This was pending when they received money from their lead sponsor, Premium Trust Bank.

Porbeni, AFN’s head coach, said: "All these are serious distractions because AFN’s program funding for the 2024 season has not been discussed by the board for approval and release for the effective training of both athletes and coaches."

Porbeni, a former Director of Sports in Delta State, hinted that in about 130 days from now, the African Games will commence in Ghana, adding that the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are barely three months away.

“Since NCAA finals would be in progress within the same period, we are depending almost 90 per cent on our home-based ‘AFN panel report a distraction to Olympic Games’ preparation’ that should be camped soonest.

“All I want to say is that the AFN president should expect this sort of distraction, but like President Bola Tinubu, he should ignore and forge ahead.

``Success silences your distractors; Okowa should focus on the huge challenges ahead of the AFN in 2024, as finger-pointing at one another at this point will help no one.”

AFN scribe Mrs. Rita Mosindi had said that some members of the Audit Panel are merely witch-hunting, adding that she did nothing wrong to warrant their allegation of misappropriating AFN’s money.

She explained: “At the beginning of the 2023 season, there was no money for AFN to execute its programs. It was becoming an embarrassment, and the First Vice President, Gadzama, Technical Director, Onikeku, and myself drove to our president’s house in Abuja.

``At that brief meeting, we begged him (Tonobok Okowa) to rescue AFN from the impending embarrassment by giving us some money to enable us to hold our programs, promising that he would be reimbursed when money comes from our sponsors. It was never a donation.”

Rumbles in Athletics Federation as panel throws management in juggernaut against members

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