I have read an obviously sponsored story published on The Guardian on Thursday, October 19, 2023, about my appointment as the Executive Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Sports Development.
I must say,it is full of lies to tarnish my reputation. Therefore, it is expedient that I set the records straight.
The reporter in the story, Gowon Akpodonor, claimed that some unnamed athletes complained about my appointment by the sports minister. However, Mr. Akpodonor fabricated the quotes he published without speaking to any athletes as claimed. He also raised some issues that I will address as follows:
i. While Mr. Akpodonor has been covering athletics for a while now, it is obvious he does not know how the administration of sports federations work. His claim that I was dismissed by the immediate past sports minister, Mr. Sunday Dare, for gross misconduct is far from the truth and is verifiable. It is on record that all efforts to get me removed from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) board over trumped up charges was rebuffed by the AFN President, Hon. Ibrahim Gusau, retaining me as the Technical Director. It should been known that Minister of sports oversight functions on sport Federations include dissolution of sport federations and not to sack any board member of the sports federation.
ii. Mr. Akpodonor blamed me for the disqualification of 10 Nigerian athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This is laughable because he ignored the fact that due to external interference in the affairs of the AFN, our board was not in charge of athletics before and during the Tokyo Olympics. The disgraceful disqualification of Nigerian athletes was actually one that I had warned against. My office had compiled a list of 137 eligible athletes for testing to be included in the NADC 2020 Antidoping Testing Pool and forwarded it to the National Anti Doping Committee (NADO/NADC) in December 2019, advising that those tests needed to be done regularly to ensure Nigeria was removed from AIU category A doping risk list. After NADO/NADC ignored us, I addressed the press in November 2020, highlighting the dangers awaiting our athletes and warning about the consequences of not carrying out those tests. My warnings were however ignored, with the AFN President recognised by the sports ministry, Olamide George, tagging it an “attention-seeking” ploy by someone who does not understand AIU’s Rule 15. “I am glad the story has been able to reveal Adeleye’s lack of capacity when he served as the technical director of the AFN. If he understands World Athletics anti-doping rules, he would have known that the categorisation does not mean suspension of Nigeria as a nation but only of athletes who did not go through the necessary anti-doping procedures prior to the start of the Games in Tokyo,” Mr. George was quoted.
iii. Mr. Akpodonor lied that he tried to speak with me on the issue but was unsuccessful. He did not make any attempt to contact me and I challenge him to provide evidence to back this claim.
The Guardian is a paper that has built its reputation on factual reporting, but money-influenced journalists like Mr. Gowon Akpodonor are trying their best to put the paper’s name into disrepute. I urge the well-revered paper to conduct a forensic investigation of Mr. Akpodonor’s bank accounts which will show payments for purposes such as this, to bring down people’s names and a renowned blackmailer.
My commitment to the development of athletics in particular and sports in general is unwavering and I will never rest on my oars even with unprovoked attacks from the likes of Mr. Gowon Akpodonor.
Signed
Sunday Adeleye
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