Sports Ministry makes u-turn on Athletics federation dissolution

The Ministry of Sports and Youth development has backpedalled on its earlier decision to dissolve the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, along with 30 other sports federations.

Last Friday, the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare represented by the Director, federation elites and athletes department, Dr Simon Ebohjaiye announced that the tenure of the National Olympic Sports Federations have come to an end, making it imperative for a transition from the old boards to new ones.

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Consequently, the ministry set up care-taker committees to oversee the affairs of the 31 dissolved federations with most of the former presidents assigned the new roles of chairmen.

In a sharp reaction, most members of the board of the federations immediately kicked against the decision of the ministry as they insisted that having been inaugurated on June 21, 2017, they still have about two months to serve.

However, in a surprise move, the ministry yesterday made a U-turn in a press statement saying the care-taker committee of the Athletics Federation which was to be chaired by factional president, Hon. Olumide George will no longer be inaugurated as earlier announced.

The ministry also said elections into the federation will now hold on June 14 as earlier agreed at the end of the peace finding meeting in Abuja.

“In Consonance with the resolution reached by the Confederation of African Athletics/World Athletics intervention team on the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, the Caretaker Committee announced for the Athletics Federation of Nigerian is rested and will not be inaugurated.

“Elections into the board of the federation will follow the road map adopted at the intervention meeting in Abuja last month upon its adoption by World Athletics,” the statement reads.

In a related development, the ministry reversed the appointments of Engineer Habu Gumel and Mr. Banjo Oladapo who were appointed to serve in the volleyball and Table Tennis Federations respectively.

While Prof. E.O Morakinyo has replaced Gumel in Volleyball, Oladapo has been substituted with Barrister Oshodi Enitan in the table tennis federation committee.