Sports Minister Solomon Dalung mired in $135,000 corruption scandal

BY OUR EDITOR

Nigeria’s out-going Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has been caught up in a web of corruption rocking the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and how $135,000 (N48.6 million) belonging to its international affiliate IAAF was spent.

The ‘missing’ money was said to be an over payment by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The IAAF in 2017 erroneously sent $150,000 to the AFN instead of the annual $15,000 it usually gave to its affiliates.

On discovering the error, the world athletics body wrote to the AFN demanding the return of $135,000, which was the excess amount it paid the Nigerian body. However, after two years, the AFN has not refunded the money, prompting the IAAF to threaten to sanction the country.

Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung and 11 AFN board members had on Tuesday held a marathon meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, to among other things, find a way of avoiding the possible IAAF sanction.

However, some of those privy with information on the scandal yesterday revealed how the money was ‘spent’ by the sports ministry and some key officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

A source at the meeting told The Guardian yesterday that the sports minister was angry with two top officials of the AFN, claiming that he was the main target in the IAAF unaccounted money.

“The minister was really angry because he felt the AFN deliberately leaked IAAF’s letter to the media to ensure he did not return as minister. He said that he approved N39.9 million (about $108,000) from the IAAF money for the AFN to procure kits.

According to our source, the minister said that when the AFN requested for money to purchase the kits, he told Ibrahim Gusau, AFN president, that the only money available in the ministry was the IAAF money, which he approved. He was angry that Gusau did not carry other board members of the AFN along.

“The minister also stated that he approved N13 million to the AFN for Nigeria’s participation at the last African U18/U20 Athletics Championship in Cote d’Ivoire. You can see how two persons in the AFN board have been operating like a secret cult,” the source stated.

Gusau did not pick his calls when The Guardian tried speaking with him on the matter yesterday. He also did not respond to a text message sent to his mobile phone.

However, the Technical Director of the AFN, Sunday Adeleye, told The Guardian that the issue of how the IAAF money was spent was never discussed at the meeting on Tuesday.

He said: “There was never a time the minister told anybody at that meeting how IAAF money was spent. We actually asked for money to purchase kits for Team Nigeria about eight days to Asaba 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship. Don’t forget that the IAAF money transaction was done in 2017. So, how come the money was still there in 2018?

“When it was obvious that our athletes would face an international embarrassment due to lack of kits, we approached the Permanent Secretary for money. He said we should put our request in writing, which we did. Then, the AFN Secretary General Amaechi Akawo was already in Asaba working with the LOC for the championship.

“But when the file got to the table of Tayo Oreweme (Director, Federation of Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) in the Sports ministry), she insisted that such requests should be made by the AFN secretary.

“So Akawo had to come down to Abuja to apply for the money. I was in Europe for the kits, and that was what saved us from international embarrassment. But I must say that it is not true for anybody to say that we used the IAAF money to buy kits. No, it is not true. And it is not also true that we got N13 million for the trip to Abidjan. The issue of the IAAF money is receiving attention. It will be taken care of soon,” Adeleye stated.

The Guardian learnt that two board members, Rosa Collins and Dare Esan were deliberately excluded from Tuesday’s meeting in Abuja. No reason has been given for their exclusion.