A ministerial committee has ordered the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to pay Favour Ofili N8 million, after the sprinter was omitted from the registration list for the 100-metres event at the Paris 2024 Olympics last summer, Afrosport reports.
The committee also indicted Mr. Samuel Onikeku, the Technical Director of the AFN, who dismissed reports of Ofili’s omission as mere “rumour”.
“Our committee is strongly of the view that the AFN technical director made poor judgment by not reporting such an important ‘hint’ or ‘rumour’ about his own athlete’s omission from an Olympic Games event, even if only to cross-check its veracity or otherwise,” the panel proclaimed.
The panel also revealed that the Team Nigeria’s poor outing at the Olympics in Paris was largely due to numerous administrative lapses.
Nigeria registered 88 athletes in 12 sports at the Paris Olympics, which held from July 26 to August 11, 2024, but failed to claim a single medal, signalling the eighth Olympic appearance without any podium finishes for the nation.
The omission of qualified athletes, including Ofili, added to the frustration and embarrassment surrounding the country’s performance.
The committee, which was set up by the former Minister of Sports Development Senator John Enoh, and is headed by renowned sports journalist Dr. Mumini Alao, recommended disciplinary action against senior AFN officials, including its Secretary General, Mrs. Rita Mosindi, and Onikeku.
According to the committee’s findings, “the Secretary General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Rita Mosindi, should be penalised by the appropriate authority for negligence in her duties. She was unable to provide convincing evidence to our committee to support her claim that she submitted important documents relating to the registration of athlete Favour Ofili in the 100 meters to the Ministry of Sports Development and the Nigeria Olympic Committee”.
The investigative committee recommended the creation of a ‘Code of Governance Document’, to establish a clear protocol for interactions among officials. The document will describe how the ministry, NOC, and sports federations should coordinate in managing athlete registrations and other overlapping responsibilities at major international events, including the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and African Games.
