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A board member of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Victor Okorie, has said that there is no impeachment plot against the President, Tonobok Okowa.
An online publication on Tuesday, titled AFN Congress gives the board power to convene meetings, suggested that some of the members are plotting against Okowa.
The plot, which started immediately Okowa was elected as President of Region 2 of the Confederations of African Athletics in Ghana, a few months ago, resurfaced last week immediately after he emerged as one of the vice Presidents of CAA in Zambia. The members were said to be angry that Okowa did not carry them along with the U18 and U20 teams to the African championship, where Nigeria finished second in Ndola.
However, Okorie, a former 400m hurdler who is based in the United States, has washed his hands off any impeachment plot against Okowa.
“As far as I know, no one wants to impeach him.
The Federation needs serious restructuring. That is what I can say,” Okorie said.
Last year, Okorie led Team Nigeria to a glorious outing at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States, where the duo of Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume won gold and silver respectively.
Meanwhile, former Hammer thrower, Gabriel Opuana, has urged board members of the AFN to put aside whatever bad plans they have against Okowa.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria is at daggers drawn over an alleged monopolisation of the federation by the President, Tonobok Okowa.
Opuana, who is the president of the Nigeria Coaches Association, said that the board members should sheath their swords and instead forge common ground to develop the sport.
“We can’t afford to be having one crisis after the other in AFN,” he said. “For good four years, the AFN couldn’t do much because of the impasse between members and former president Ibrahim Gusau. This time around similar skirmishes are beginning to emerge and this is not good enough for the sport.
“We should all remember it is the athletes that suffer and it is because of them we are there on the board. Every member should be striving on how to get sponsorship for the AFN’s programmes; we can’t sit down and be bickering over monies that are not even there in the first place.
“Everyone should sit down and work so that the money would be flowing in,” Opuana said.
“I urge members to cooperate with him and get the board working effectively for the athletes. We have so much work to do to bring our athletes back to where it was, but this bickering will not help matters at all,” Opuana stated.
One of the coaches, who was part of Team Nigeria at the just concluded African U18 and U20 championship in Zambia said yesterday that board members moving against Okowa are greedy.
“They are envious of his steady rise in African athletics and also greedy. How can they be grumbling over money all the time, yet they won’t bring anything to the board. We know them and very soon, the athletes will stone them one by one,” the coach said.
