‘Only board can declare AFN’s audit committee report inconclusive’

Tonobok Okowa. Pix: Radio Nigeria

Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) First Vice president, Tafida Gadzama, has said that only the federation’s board has the power to decide whether its recent audit committee report is inconclusive or not.

AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, at the weekend said that the audit committee’s report was inconclusive, suggesting that the board would determine what to do with the report in its next meeting.

But in a statement yesterday, Gadzama said the committee was set up pursuant to article 14.3.3 of the AFN constitution (2023 as amended), which gives the executive board the power to probe the finances of the federation and that only the same executive board has the power to either accept, wholly or partially or reject, also wholly or partially the recommendations of the audit committee.

He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the executive board of the AFN set up the audit committee, which I chaired, and the committee submitted its report on October 31, 2023.

“The board at its meeting of December 10, 2024, deliberated on the report with majority of members applauding the committee for doing a thorough job.

“We are very delighted we took the decision to record the meeting on tape and what the president said in the report rubbishing the report is at variance with what transpired at the meeting.

“For instance, the president apologised to board members over the N40 million he got refunded from the N70 million the federation received as sponsorship fee from Premium Trust Bank, albeit the events sponsored by the president were not captured in the agreement.”

Gadzama revealed how a few board members wanted a pardon for the secretary general at the meeting after it was unanimously agreed she failed in her