…as AFN awaits IAAF decision
By Mike Oboh
Sports in the country will continue to be at the low end unless the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) takes it rightful place in the administration of sports in the country.
This was the assertion of the Technical Director of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Mr. Sunday Adeleye in an interview with Daybreak Sports in Abuja.
Adeleye, who spoke on the crisis rocking the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Basketball Federation, said if the leadership of the NOC has taken a well deserve position on the issues, the problems would not have reared its ugly face.
The Technical Director said if as advocated by the former Sports minister in Nigeria, Barrister Solomon Dalung on the need for independence for the federations across board, all the hiccups associated with the crisis would not have arisen.
He said though he is worried by the effects it is having on the athletes in both sports, the problem will remain as the sports ministry has now turned itself to be a partisan body instead of allowing the rule of law to prevail in the situations the federations was passing through now.
Adeleye said the NOC has failed in its responsibility to take the bull by the horn with it lackadaisical attitude to the problem as it has not been able to exert it position on the crisis rocking the federations.
On the part of the AFN, he said they were awaiting the decision of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) on the matter as the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Nigeria has been sent to them for its consideration.
He noted though the IAAF had written to the Sports Ministry to stay clear of what it considered a family matter among federation’s members but the decision of the Sports Ministry to take over the case instituted by one of the faction was an eye opener of the decision by the ministry not to allow independence of the federations.
He said if the NOC has taken its position as done across countries in the world, the case in Nigeria would have been rested now.
Adeleye said his concern is that the lingering crisis is having a telling effect on home based athletes as they are worst hit by the crisis unlike the professionals based outside the country who are on self-help to achieve their set targets in international competitions.
The Technical Director lamented that it was unfortunate for the country that those clamoring for the disunity in the federation are people whose interest was solely on what they can get from their participation in the politics of the federation rather than what they can put in to get the collective desire of all the participants in the sport.
“Some people who were elected and now clamouring for disunity in the federation are those who sold their houses to contest for positions and now they came and saw that there is no money to be shared and the annoying thing is that they don’t even have personal interest in the development of the athletes as their family members are not involved, so whatever happens does not matter to them.
“I have identified the problem of federation, the ministry should let go its control of the federations and encourage good budgeting as the absence of this is the bane of underdevelopment in sports, I don’t think that there is any federation today under the country of the ministry that has it on control of budget of its activities.
“We have to put our heads together to save the country as we are on slow mode, there is the need to give the younger generation a space in the administration of sports in the country just as we need the advice of the older generation, is time we change this attitude of falling back on the old order as it is important we go with the trend in the world today,” he said
He said the Engr, Ibrahim Shehu Gusua led board of the federation has achieved much since 2017 with 75 percent of the participants in the athletics events at the Commonwealth Games were made up of home based athletes, did well at the Under 18 Africa Championship in Ivory Coast and at the World Athletics Championship in Doha, the country was able to break 12 years of jinx of no medals in international competitions with the Athletes it took there.
He said President Ibrahim Gusau was able to rally the federation board to achieve such feats as they tasked themselves to ensure they continue with the strides of getting better results and God has been faithful to their cause, saying “Engr Ibrahim Gusua have been a devoted leader and the members of the board are also committed to what he desires for the athletes and the country.”
