A bombshell report from the investigative panel headed by Dr. Mumuni Alao has exposed serious administrative failures within the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), recommending a $5,000 compensation payment to Nigerian sprint star Favour Ofili. The panel, established by former sports minister Senator Joseph Enoh, unveiled disturbing details about the federation’s negligence that cost the athlete her Olympic 100m opportunity despite meeting all qualification standards.
The report targets key AFN officials, with Technical Director Samuel Onikeku facing sanctions for his “poor judgment” in handling the situation. “The Technical Director of the federation, Samuel Onikeku, should be sanctioned by the AFN Board of which he’s a member,” the panel stated, highlighting his failure to act on “hints” and “rumours” about Ofili’s non-registration.
In a scathing indictment of the federation’s leadership, Secretary General Rita Mosindi faces penalties for what the panel described as clear negligence. “The Secretary General of the AFN, Rita Mosindi, should be penalized by the appropriate authority for Negligence in her duties,” the report declared, noting that she “was unable to provide convincing evidence to our Committee to support her claim that she submitted important documents relating to the registration of the athlete.”
The panel’s unprecedented recommendation for financial compensation sets a new precedent in Nigerian sports administration. “We view this monetary compensation as a symbolic gesture for sports officials and federations to know that there will be consequences for their actions beginning from now,” the report emphasized, drawing parallels to previous administrative failures during Tokyo 2020. This development comes amid broader investigations into Team Nigeria’s disappointing Olympics performance, including the controversial bicycle saga of Ese Ukpesenraye and boxing doping issues, with the findings now awaiting action from the Sheu Dikko-led National Sports Commission.
