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TAFAUN tackles AFN, ministry over Adeleye

By Gowon Akpodonor
21 November 2019   |   3:52 am
Members of the Track and Field Athletes Union of Nigeria (TAFAUN) have renewed their call for the removal of Sunday Adeleye as their representative on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria

• Renews call for his removal

Members of the Track and Field Athletes Union of Nigeria (TAFAUN) have renewed their call for the removal of Sunday Adeleye as their representative on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, sacked Adeleye from his position as the Technical Director of AFN two weeks ago following the recommendation by a probe panel set up to investigate Nigeria’s poor performance at Doha 2019 IAAF World Championship.

Before then, a total of 120 athletes had signed a petition calling for Adeleye’s removal as their representative on the board of AFN.
In a letter entitled: ‘Re-letter of Relief for The Athletes Representative on the board of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN),’ issued on November 18, and addressed to AFN Secretary General, TAFAUN wrote: “Our letter of relief dated May 21, 2019 informing you of the recall of Mr. Sunday Adeleye as the representative of Nigerian Track and Field athletes on the board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria refers. The letter was received and acknowledged by the office of the (FEAD) of the Permanent Secretary and the office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development on May 21, 2019 with the attached pages of signatures of athletes who called for the recall in accordance with the Union’s constitution.

“We are aware that the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development granted the athletes request on May 24, 2019. To our dismay, Mr. Adeleye is still parading himself as the representative of the athletes on the board of Athletics Federation of Nigeria. We write to remind you of the decision of the athletes as contained in the relief letter.

“Attached are copies of the acknowledged letter of Relief sent to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. In view of the above, it would be appreciated if the Federation (AFN) and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development take the necessary steps and effect the recall in line with the wishes of the union under whose platform Mr. Adeleye was elected as the Athletes Representative in 2017. The vice president of the union will hold forth until bye elections are held next year where all athletes will gather for competition.”

The Guardian recall that the protest by the athletes against Adeleye was triggered following his alleged failure to defend a female athlete, Praise Idamadudu, who was suspended without trial by the AFN President, Ibrahim Gusau in May this year.The athletes felt that Adeleye should have protected the athlete by persuading Gusau to invite her for questioning before the suspension was given.

There was a similar protest by the athletes against Adeleye in 2018, after he was accused of using his position as Technical Director to intimidate them rather than to protect their interest.Idamadudu, one of the nation’s rising stars, was arbitrarily suspended by the Gusau-led board for allegedly asking for her camp allowance after representing Nigeria at the last African U18/U20 Athletics Championships in Abidjan.

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