Following the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)’s query over discrepancies in the ages of four Nigerian athletes registered to represent the country in August’s World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, former Nigerian international and Olympic medalist, Tafida Gadzama, has called for the resignation of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) president, Tonobok Ojuru Okowa and suspension of the secretary-general, Rita Moshindi.
Gadzama made the demand while reacting to the AIU’s query to AFN demanding explanations on why four Nigerian track and field athletes have multiple date of births.
Gadzama, who is the current first vice-president of AFN, expressed shock at why Okowa and Moshindi could keep AIU’s query letter from some of the members of the board of AFN, especially himself and second vice president, Rosa Collins and called on the Presidency to probe the AFN over the discrepancies as well as the audit committee report of the federation that indicted the secretary general and asked Okowa to refund some money taken from the federation.
“This is news to me albeit I am the first Vice President of the AFN. I have asked Mrs Rosa Collins who is the second Vice President and a couple of others and they also expressed surprise that our president could keep such damaging information away from them,’ Gadzama said.
The Sydney 2000 Olympics gold medallist was however not surprised that the AFN has been queried by the AIU, insisting that Okowa should resign to allow for proper investigation by the Presidency notwithstanding the fact that AIU is also probing the federation.
“The AFN has been turned into a secret cult and when you are obsessed with winning instead of focusing on the development of the sport, this is what you get. ‘For even getting the AFN to be queried over age discrepancies for the first time since I can recall, I suggest the resignation of Okowa. The Sports Ministry should also suspend Rita Moshindi as the Secretary General,’ Gadzama added.
According to him, Okowa has turned deaf ears to wise counsel, saying: “We have always advocated for issues to be discussed by the board before decisions are taken. That was what was obtainable during our time as athletes and what we met even after we transited from athletes to administrators. During my time as an athlete, AFN issued us with licenses renewable every year. The license contained vital information such as our names and date of birth. But since politicians took over the running of the federation, their focus has always been on winning so that they can justify their Presidency,’ Gadzama lamented.
