Missing $130, 000 IAAF Money: I Am An Innocent Victim – Gusau

Missing $130, 000 IAAF Money: I Am An Innocent Victim – Gusau

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By Amaechi Agbo

Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, President, Ibrahim Gusau had stated that he has been made an innocent victim concerning the missing/unaccounted $130, 000 IAAF surplus money paid into the federation’s account last two years.

Gusau who spoke with journalists midweek said that even though the money which was part of $150, 000 paid to the federation as grant instead of $20, 000, was paid before he assumed office but said he took up the matter with the ministry of youth and sports for the refund to be made adding that he has been made a victim for trying to do the right thing.

“I tried never to join issues but in the last few days, my image has been battered and I think it is time for me to talk. If you recall, the AFN board was inaugurated late July 2017 and I have correspondences between the AFN and IAAF. And in my first meeting with the IAAF, they asked me to return a $130, 000. I told them I do not know anything about the money but they said that office is continuum. That they sent $20, 000 to the federation but mistakenly, $130, 000 was added to the grant. So in essence, the sum of $150, 000 was sent and now they are asking for refund of $130, 000. Incidentally, there was a meeting between the former minister of youth and sports (Solomon Dalung) and the IAAF and the minister concurred that they were going to work on sending the money back.

“I did a memo to the minister on the need to refund the money but over a year, nothing was done. So IAAF came to Asaba 2018 championship. Then I called a meeting with the former minister and the permanent secretary where the minister asked the permanent secretary to collect the account number of the IAAF that they were going to pay the money. He said then that they were going to pay the money in trenches. That they were having cash constraints. IAAF went back and wrote another letter about it. The last letter they wrote about it was in Yokohama when we went there for the Yokohama World Relays. And they asked that they are monitoring Nigeria situation and that soon there will be another government. When I came back, I wrote to the minister and attached the letter and sent to him.

“At no point was I in contact with this money nor approved, decided on the spending. This money was sent almost three months before I came on board and before I came, there was no money. I have never approved any moneys since I assumed position as the AFN president. It might interest you to know the structure of the federations. The secretary and the treasurer of the federation are officials of the ministry.

“They are the ones who assess the account. At what point then did I come in contact with the $130, 000? I thought it was all a bad joke so I did not want to talk initially but since it has gotten to this point, I had to come out and talk. There was no way at no point that any of us in the board had contact with the $150, 000. There were two meetings between the ministry and the IAAF and the ministry confirmed that they will pay the money back.

“I think I am a victim for trying to get that issue settled. Nigeria is foremost for all of us. It will interest you to know that there are some evets I avoided going because I was put on the spot as a result of that funding that the minister refused to refund,” he said.

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