How Okowa hatched AFN Congress to expel Gadzama, Olympics gold medalist
By Uzor Odigbo
Facts have emerged on reasons the hierarchy of the AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) led by its President Tonobok Okowa planned an extraordinary emergency congress that failed to achieve its purpose.
Aside the attendees who were majorly directors of various State Sports Commissions that was dubbed illegal, the main reason for the congress was to remove the first Vice- President of AFN from North East Zone Tafida Gadzama which met strong opposition from Gombe State AthIetics Association Chairman, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe.
In his submission titled “Why I stood against the Impeachment of Gadzama Today May 25th, 2023 at the AFN emergency Congress”
According to Hon. Ahmed Gara Gombe, “A man from.Borno State stood up during A.O.B and was recognised by the AFN Chairman to read a prepared letter recalling Gadzama as Zonal Reprentative of the North East Region purportedly Endorsed by the Representatives from the Zone.
” I Immediately stood up to challenge the author of the recall process and the letter to ask when and where the North East Zone met and decided to recall Gadzama?
“The chairman refused me to talk, He kept on saying Gara Gombe you have only one vote in the Zone.”
it was then that I saw clearly that it was a planned work but executed in an Amatuer way. I reminded the Congress that if we allow this precedent to be set it can happen to anyone.”
Gombe then started quering the recall process and demanded which constitutional provision adopted by the congress allowed the recall of a top AFN official.
Some of Hon. Gombe’s queries reads
1. What did the AFN Constitution said about recall ?
2. What is the recall process?
3. Which Constitution are we using to recall GADZAMA?The old one that is yet to be amended and adopted or the new one that we are still amending which necessitate tye Emergency meeting of 25th May?
4. When did the North East meet to decide to Revall its Rep.
5. Where was the minutes of Meeting where the recall was Diacussed?
6. who are those in attendance?
7. I was not The Chairman of Gombe Athletics when GADZAMA was Elected but I will not be a party to an illegal process.
He continued “Gadzama is an OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST For goodness sake, he deserves respect and if he is to be removed, recalled, impeached or whatever definitely, not this way.
Besides his offence, was he given a fair hearing at any point by the Zone.?
“I want to advise the AFN Board, if they continue this way or support a cangaroo process like this and Gadzama goes, then one by one, the Board will go, I can say this, If anyone in the Sports Ministry is behind this it will not work.”
The AFN secretary who till now has been silent immediately found her voice when she said, the letter of Gadzama’s recall was addressed to her and will respond to it appropriately.
To this end, Hon Gombe replied “But why accept a document that a particular state in the Zone was impersonated?
However the AFN emergency Congress was originally flawed and the out come was monumentally embarrassing. Unfortunately, dignitary such as the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) President Engineer Habu Gumel watched the Charade.
It was however allerged that the Okowa led AFN wanted an AFN board devoid of credible opposition which was the reason behind his desire to get rid of some critical board members namely, Tafida Gadzama, Rosa Collins, Henry Chinedu Okorie, Victor Okorie and others.
The sins of thses board was their insistance on transparency and accountability on funds, deals entered and obtained through AFN name that was not accounted for.
The AFN boss however emerged from the congress and declared there was no crisis in the Federation, a statement many regarded as petty.