Though ex-Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, said the money was diverted, a statement by the AFN quoted the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olusade Adesola, as saying “there was no issue of diversion of funds.”
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has assured stakeholders of a thorough investigation into the missing $135,000 IAAF funds.
This was confirmed by Rasheedat Okoduwa, the ICPC spokesperson.
“We will do our work thoroughly. The AFN president actually wrote to invite ICPC to investigate,” she said.
The $135, 000, an excess of a grant paid by the international athletics body IAAF, was earlier declared missing until officials of the AFN said it was spent on the purchase of kits and payment of athletes’ allowances for last year’s Africa Athletics Championships in Asaba.
Though ex-Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, said the money was diverted, a statement by the AFN quoted the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olusade Adesola, as saying “there was no issue of diversion of funds.”
Until last Thursday when a reconciliation meeting was held in Abuja, the AFN board members were divided.
The aggrieved board members, despite the reconciliation meeting, insisted that the AFN president, Shehu Gusau, be investigated.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, Gusau declared that he was ready to be investigated.
When contacted, the ICPC confirmed that it had received a letter from Gusau seeking that the expenditure of the missing fund should be investigated.
Gusau in the letter gave a brief detail of the grant’s payment and clarified that the fund was paid before he took over as the board chairman.
A copy of the letter submitted by Gusau read in part, “I am inviting the (ICPC) chairman to investigate the AFN. This is due to some allegation involving the IAAF missing $135,000.
“This has caused a great deal of disrepute to Nigeria as a nation. May you please investigate to establish the veracity of the matter. It is expedient that this investigation is carried out immediately.”