Beyioku remains AFN Secretary General

Acting president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Olamide George has affirmed Adisa Adeniyi Beyioku as the authentic and substantive Secretary General of the federation.

George was reacting to reports that Siminilaye Young Pepple was appointed the secretary general of the AFN at the controversial congress held in Awka on Wednesday, December.

“That was an exercise in futility. Prince Beyioku is the authentic secretary general of the AFN. The illegal assembly of some impostors who masqueraded as states association chairmen did not have the power to appoint a secretary general. Our constitution states clearly which authority has that power,” George said while stressing that the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has been granted that power by the constitution of the AFN.

“Article 8.7.2 of the AFN constitution states that ‘the terms and conditions of employment (of a secretary general) shall be decided by the FMYS (Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports).This is clear and unambiguous,” said George, a former member of Ondo State House of Assembly, in south west region of the country.

“We advise athletics stakeholders not to have any dealings with Siminilaye Young Pepple because he is not the secretary general of the AFN.”

George added that he has asked the recalled athletes representative, Sunday Adeleye to surrender all properties and documents of the federation including that of the contract signed with sportswear manufacturer, PUMA without the board’s approval to the secretary general, Prince Beyioku.”

 George also revealed that many of the people paraded as states association chairmen were actually impostors.

“Timon Gunen, a former Nigeria international is chairman of Plateau State and was nowhere near Awka for the illegal congress and yet Plateau State was listed as one of the attendees of the so called congress.

“Alhaji Kaita heads the Katsina athletics association and he was not also not in Awka nor did he send any representative yet Katsina was marked present in Awka. One of the three people who wrote the communiqué is a stadium manager in Minna and yet he is paraded as a state chairman.

“Let them release the names of those who attended the illegal gathering and Nigerians will see how cheap they had been.”

The AFN acting president also revealed that only the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development can dissolve the federation at the expiration of the tenure of the present board.