By Unukere Oboh

National Olympic Committee, NOC, on Wednesday set up a four-man panel to investigate the crisis rocking the Athletics Federation of Nigeria ,AFN.

Phemmy Adetula, Public Relations Officer of NOC said in Abuja that the panel has Barrister Dan Obih as chairman with Margaret Binga of Nigeria Taekwando Federation, NOC’s board member, Toyin Aluko as members  while Emmanuel Nweri will serve as the secretary.

According to Adetula, the NOC cannot afford to close its eyes to happenings in the AFN for the fact that athletics as a sport the country is hopeful of getting medals in the forthcoming Olympic Games on Tokyo, Japan next year.

“We are going to the Olympic and we can not fold our arms to see things degenerate in the Athletics, a sport we are banking on for the athletes to excel, whatever is happening now if not properly looked at may hamper our position, so the NOC decided to intervene to restore peace,” he asid.

He said the committee was mandated to report its findings within the shortest possible time to NOC.

Meanwhile the President of NOC, Engineer Ahmed Habu Gumel has described the appointed patrons of the body as a proper vehicle to propel its financial drive.

Gumel said this at the first meeting of the patrons and the NOC executive in Abuja yon Wednesday.

According to Gumel, the investiture of the patrons was very important to Nigeria and the Olympic movement.

He said with the various corporate bodies in the country, the patrons can use their influence to mobilise fund for the development of sports just as he noted that the NOC will operate an open door policy with the patrons to achieve the desired goal.