Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) First Vice President, Tafida Gadzama, has said that the audit committee set up by the federation to investigate its finances should be applauded for a job well done and not the criticisms that have trailed it from some sections of the media.
Gadzama opined that the committee was very thorough during the investigation despite all odds to thwart it while disputing the claims that the Committee’s report was a witch-hunt and used to settle old scores.
In a memo to dasportstainment247.com, Gadzama denied claims that AFN board members were in disagreement over the audit report.
He explained that the AFN’s audit committee was set up by the federation’s executive board to investigate the finances of the federation in line with article 14.3.3 of its 2023 constitution as amended, which gives the board the power to oversee all its administrative, technical and financial matters.
He said that the boards set up the five-man committee, which he headed, with Victor Okorie, Samuel Onikeku, Oludare Esan and Mrs Maria Worphil as members.
According to Gadzama: “The committee requested from the secretary general of the federation, Mrs Rita Moshindi, who is also the federation’s administrative and accounting officer, to furnish it with all relevant financial documents, including the income and expenditure sheets of the federation since she was appointed secretary general in 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Sports Development pursuant to article 14.2(c) of the 2023 AFN Constitution as amended.
“The Secretary General availed the committee of the following expenditure sheets: 1. AFN Kaduna U18 and U20 trials, 2. AFN Golden Leagues in Abuja, Benin and Uyo and, 3. The World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.”
Gadzama said the committee also requested the secretary general to furnish it with a copy of the three-year contract signed with Premium Trust Bank in June.
“The Secretary General responded to the questions from committee members but refused to submit approvals received from the president and evidence of payments for some of the expenditures. She also failed to submit to the committee a copy of the agreement signed with Premium Trust Bank.”
“The committee reported, via the AFN executive board’s Whatsapp platform, the Secretary General’s apparent disregard for a decision reached at the executive board meeting of the federation and backed by the constitution of the AFN.
“The committee considered the secretary general’s action an affront on the executive board and the constitution of the AFN.
“The secretary general was given another deadline to submit approvals and evidence of payments for all items on the expenditure sheets and a copy of the agreement with Premium Trust Bank.
“Again, the secretary general refused to comply with this directive and the committee sees this as an act of insubordination.
“The Committee notes that the President of AFN, Mr Tonobok Ojuru Okowa did not prevail on the secretary general to produce the documents requested by the committee. The Committee was thus forced to rely only on her reply to the questions to write its report.”
Among other issues, Gadzama stated that the committee also attached the ‘updated MOU’ between the AFN and Premium Trust Bank emailed to board members on June 26, 2023, two days before the agreement was signed.
“The Committee sent 12 questions to the secretary general to answer on the Premium Trust Bank, which she did. The committee decided to review the secretary general’s answers to the questions one by one.
Gadzama said that the committee remarked that the secretary general failed to provide the minute of the meeting and/or audio recording of the zoom meeting where it was mentioned that the president should spend his money to fund AFN activities and would be refunded later.
It noted that some of the events held by the AFN were done before the federation’s pact with Premium Trust Bank became effective.
