By Victor Kanayo
The investigative panel that investigated Nigeria’s participation at the 2024 Paris Olympics has released its report.
In it, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) was mostly indicted with the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) being instructed to be more thorough in ensuring effective communication/relationship with the Nigerian sports administration.
The Mumini Alao investigative panel set up by the former sports minister, John Owan Enoh, came to the conclusion that the AFN officials were responsible for the omission of Favour Ofili’s name among the competitors of the 100m race for which she was qualified.
The committee recommended that the AFN should compensate the disappointed athlete, the sum of $5,000 or its equivalence in Nigerian currency (N8million).
This is to take care of the disappointment and depression that the athlete suffered on account of her omission from the women’s 100 meters event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
That was the high point of the 54-page report of the panel which was to have been released last week but was put on hold owing to the change in administration of Nigerian sports governing body.
The new man on the saddle, Shehu Dikko reportedly gave apporoval for the release of the committee’s report.
According to the report, conclusive evidence revealed that the Secretary General of the AFN, Rita Mosindi, was negligent in her duty of communicating to the then Ministry of Sports Development and the Nigeria Olympic Comm ittee (NOC) information about Favour Ofili’s event status in a reliable and timely manner.
It is recommended that Mosindi should be penalised. She is not alone. The committee also indicted the AFN technical director, Samuel Onikeku.
Part of the report also reads, “The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Ministry of Sports Development should jointly develop a written CODE OF GOVERNANCE to improve synergy of operations and close the communication gaps between both organizations.
“The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) should be more transparent in its relationship with the Ministry of Sports Development. Had the NOC been more open, its legally-binding kitting contract with an American sportswear manufacturer, Actively Black Company, would not have suffered any risk of breach and caused any controversy or embarrassment to Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Ministry and the NOC should eschew mutual suspicion and promote transparency and mutual in their interactions for the benefit of Nigerian sports and the athletes.
“The cyclist, Ese Ukpeseraye, should write a FORMAL APOLOGY to the Nigeria Cycling Federation (NCF) for the embarrassment that she caused the Federation and the Nigerian contingent to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on account of the unauthorized post that she made on social media X (Formerly Twitter) about the bicycle that she used for the Cycling track event at the Olympics.
“Every Sports Federation should design comprehensive, sport-specific codes of conduct for their athletes representing Nigeria at international events. These should be enforced to the letter without fear or favour.”
Nigeria finished and returned from the 2024 Olympics empty handed, a performance that attracted intense condemnation from many Nigerians, with the former Sports Minister Owan Enoh being the worst hit for his lack of technical know-how in the sporting sector.
