The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has denied the allegation that the body is enmeshed in corruption and organizational lapses as alleged by a sports proprietor, Alhaji Gara Gombe.
Gara Gombe has in series of publications accused the Tonobok Okowa led AFN of mismanagement.
But in rebuttal, the AFN through a letter, denied all the charges leveled against it by Gombe, saying it was his usual schoolboy utterances on national issues.
See full statement below.
The attention of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has been drawn to a write up by the Chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, in which he attempts to mislead the general public about the federation.
Ordinarily, we should have ignored Gara Gombe because of his usual attitude of crying wolf where there in none, but as a responsible federation, we have decided to set the records straight.
His allegations that the leadership of AFN and the secretariat have continued to take the Congress for granted is far from the truth.
In the first place, it is a common knowledge that Sports Federations call for Congress, when there are serious issues affecting it’s operations. The AFN held its Congress towards the end of last year (2023), where several issues were thrashed out. The AFN will hold its next Congress soon after the Paris 2024 Olympics Games.
Since our last Congress, the AFN has been operating smoothly and achieving good results at major competitions within and outside the African continent.
Gara Gombe’s statement that the Executive Committee of the AFN is still in disarray is just his personal imagination.
For the avoidance of doubt, the AFN operates as a united family, though there is a particular member who feels that things should always be done as he directed. The AFN board is made up of people with integrity, there is no way one individual with a selfish agenda can dictate to us. The bad attitude displayed by a few elements is not enough for Gara Gombe to tag the entire AFN board a confused and divided body.
To say that Gara Gombe is the most confused Nigerian is an understatement. His allegation that the entire Congress has no information about anything concerning the operation of the AFN is not only untrue, but a calculated attempt to rubbish the good work done by the Chief Tonobok Okowa-led AFN board.
It might interest Gara Gombe to know that since the beginning of the year, the AFN has achieved a lot, including its great performance at the African Games in Accra, Ghana, where our athletes’ performance helped Team Nigeria to finish second on the final medals table.
Our Relay teams to the recently concluded World Relays in Bahamas recorded Nigeria’s best ever performance, winning four out of five slots to the Paris Olympics Games. Our athletes, with assistance from the AFN have continued to set great records across the World, picking tickets to the Paris Olympics. All these can only come from a united AFN family.
Again, a confused Gara Gombe raised an alarm that our athletes that participated in the African Games in Accra, Ghana have not been paid till today. Every well thinking Nigerian knows that it is not the responsibility of the AFN to pay athletes who represented Nigeria at major competitions like the African Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics Games. The Sports Ministry is working hard to see that all athletes get whatever benefits that belong to them. What manner of a sports administrator Gara Gombe is?
Also, Gara Gombe’s cry that the monumental corruption allegations in AFN, the Audit report in particular and many other indicting issues in AFN remain unresolved speaks volume about his level of ignorance on happenings within Nigeria athletics.
Last year, the AFN board set up a panel to look into the federation’s finance books following an allegation raised by some board members. The panel report was thoroughly reviewed by the AFN board, and in the end, it was agreed that every member who contributed money for sponsorship of the federation’s programme should be paid. That includes the money owned by the AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa.
Gara Gombe also said that AFN Secretary General, Rita Mosindi withheld a Document where his Signature was forged, and that he requested for the Document officially in writing and she refused to produce it.
We expect that Gara Gombe, in his capacity as chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association should have a little knowledge about administrative procedure. A letter, in which an official from Gombe State Athletics signed for, and on his behalf, and sent to the AFN remains a confidential document of the federation.
The fact that Gara Gombe did not know how and when members from his North east zone came together to reach an agreement on matters concerning the zone is a serious indictment on his managerial competence.
In our view, an alarmist like Gara Gombe should not be allowed to hold such a key position such as chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association any longer.
The good government and people of Gombe State in particular, and esteemed delegates in the North east zone should act fast and remove Gara Gombe from the position before he causes more harm to them.
Gara Gombe is constituting nuisance before the public. His schoolboy utterances on national issues, and attacks on everyone is not only becoming worrisome but embarrassing.
An uncoordinated Gara Gombe started by attacking the board of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and when he realised that no one was listening to him, shifted his stone throwing at the direction of the Honourable Sports Minister, Senator John Owen Enoh, who is on record, one of the best performing Sports Minister the country ever had.
Gara Gombe is never associated with anything good in Nigerian sports. From his failed era as Match Commissioner, when he was expelled by the NFF after commissioning just one match in Ibadan, to his troublesome days as Chairman of Gombe Football Association, it is one bad step to another by Gara Gombe.
We urge all Nigerians to disregard whatever rubbish that comes from the loquacious Gara Gombe, and continue to support the AFN as we build towards a successful outing in Cameroon 2024 African Senior Athletics Championships, and the Paris Olympics.