The investigative panel set up by former sports minister, Senator Joseph Enoh, headed by Dr Mumuni Alao has recommended a compensation of five thousand dollars in favour of Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili for the failure of the Nigerian Athletics Federation, AFN to register her for 100 meter race of the 2024 Paris Olympics after meeting all qualification standards, Sports247 reports.
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The committee is to investigate the various unwanted incidents that occurred within Team Nigeria’s camp at the 2024 Paris Olympics which the bicycle saga of Ese Ukpesenraye, the Boxing dope issue, the disappearance of Ofili Favours name on the 100 m women event and the total cause of no medal showing of Team Nigeria despite the projection of 10 medals before the start of the games.
We scooped that the panel has submitted the report and recommendation and may be one of the first series of tasks to be executed by the Sheu Dikko led National Sports Commission.
As part of their recommendation the panel awarded a compensation of $5,000 for the mental stress she was made to go through .
According to the investigation of the panel the fee must be paid by the AFN as a consequence for their negligence over the omission of her name
A part of the report read :
“The Committee takes the view that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria is vicariously indicted in the Favour Ofili issue and should pay compensation to the athlete as a collective responsibility of the organization. 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. ”
” This is particularly so for the AFN some of whose athletes were disqualified from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due again to some tardiness on the part of the federation,” THISDAY scooped from the recommendation made to the government.
The panel was unable to link her Ofili’s exclusion to any particular name or officials in the AFN however .Secretary General of AFN, Rita Mosindi and Technical Director of AFN, Samuel Onikeku were indicted and recommended sanctions for their roles in Ofili missing the 100m event.
The recommendation read ‘ “The Technical Director of the federation , Samuel Onikeku, should be sanctioned by the AFN Board of which he’s a member.” Onikeku is being recommended for sanction for not reporting the “hint” and “rumours” that he heard about the non registration of Ofili for the 100m event., emphasising that the sanctions are for his poor judgment on the matter.
In the case of Secretary General of the AFN, Rita Mosindi the panel recommended for reads:
“ The Secretary General of the AFN, Rita Mosindi, should be penalized 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 the athlete, Favour Ofili in the 100m, to the NOC.”
This recommendation is subject to ratification by the Federal Government through the revamped National Sports Commission.
