By Seun Adams
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development has nullified the appointment of Mr. Similaye Young Pepple
as the Director General (DG) of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
The Ministry’s Director for Public Affairs Mrs A. B Lere-Adams, in a statement made available to the media, said the ministry considers the appointment as illegal.
According to her, the ministry in its capacity of supervisory role over the National Sports Federations under its purview, set up a panel of inquiry on AFN to investigate certain misdeeds and proffer solutions going forward.
She said: “To this end, acting upon the recommendations of the panel, the ministry hereby makes it categorically clear that the statue of the AFN and the National Sports Federation Code of Governance 2017, does not provide for the position of Director-General in any of the enabling documents.
Against this backdrop, therefore, the ministry has no option than to nullified the alleged appointment of Pepple as Director-General of AFN, adding that more since it is not being supported by any extant laws or regulations whatsoever.
According to her, the code of governance supports Secretary-General who has already been duly appointed by the Ministry and not the office of a Director-General that does not exist in the code.