Determined to make a bold step in international sporting events this year, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) at its board meeting, at the weekend, sets up a five-man committee to raise a formidable team for the African Games, the World Indoor Championship and the Olympic Games holding in Paris.

The five-man committee is headed by Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (rtd). Other members are the federation’s Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, Manta Haruna Mohammed, Mrs Maria Wophill, Dr Solomon Alao, while an official of the AFN secretariat will serve as its secretary.

According to a member of the committee, Maria Wophill, it is mandated to put in place a formidable athletics squad (from home and abroad) to fly the nation’s flag at the African Games, the World Indoor Championship as well as the Olympics Games in Paris.

Wophill also told The Guardian, shortly after the meeting, that the AFN board also dissolved all its committees that have served two years as agreed upon at the beginning of its tenure in 2021.

She said: “The board has approved its Safeguarding Policy Committee in line with the policy of World Athletics. The board also set up a three-man committee to fashion out appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the committees, which would soon be set up by the federation.”

Wophill said that she is a member of the three-man committee headed by Dr. Solomon Alao, with Prof Emmanuel Ojeme also a member.

“The three-member committee is to draw up SOPs/Terms of Reference for the new Committees that will be set up as their Operational Guidelines. Wophill further explained that the AFN board also deliberated on the Audit Committee Report and applauded the members for their efforts.

“However, the board did not uphold the particular recommendation, which tagged the various funds loaned to the federation by the President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, as ‘donations’. The board unanimously agreed that Chief Okowa should be refunded his money as soon as funds is available. This applies to all other members who have loaned out monies to the Federation.

Regarding the Audit Committee’s recommendation that the Secretary General of the AFN, Rita Mosindi, be removed, Wophill stated that the board, while deliberating, observed that it does not have the power to remove the SG as it did not appoint her.

“The board also observed that apart from apologising both verbally and in writing to the board, Mosindi has been under close watch and seen to be truly remorseful and demonstrated that she has changed, and ready to work with the board to attain its ultimate goals. As such, the board agreed to reprimand her and advised her to ‘sin no more’.

She listed board members that attended the zoom meeting as Okowa, Nesiama, Mohammed, Prof. Ojeme, Onikeku,
Dr Alao and Mosindi, adding that Yusuf Liman Dahiru sent an apology from Saudi Arabia.