I have read tons of opinions on social media following Puma’s decision to cancel its four-year deal with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), and some commentators have blamed the Minister of Youth and Sports for this fall out, but most of them are simply ignorant.


I am not a fan of the Sports Minister, but I think Nigerians need to familiarize themselves with how things work in their country. For starters, there are 25 sports federation in Nigeria, of which the AFN is one of them. These federations are all under the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).


To put things in perspective, I will list all the 25 federations in Nigeria. Nigeria Aquatics Federation; Nigeria Archery Federation; Athletics Federation of Nigeria; Nigeria Badminton Federation; Nigeria Basketball Federation; Nigeria Amateur Boxing Federation; Nigeria Cycling Federation; Nigeria Fencing Federation; Nigeria Football Federation; Nigeria Golf Federation; Nigeria Gymnastics Federation; Nigeria Handball Federation; Nigeria Hockey Federation; Nigeria Judo Federation; Nigeria Modern Pentathlon Federation; Nigeria Rowing, Canoeing and Sailing Federation; Nigeria Rugby Federation; Nigeria Shooting Sport Federation; Nigeria Table Tennis Federation; Nigeria Taekwondo Federation; Nigeria Tennis Federation; Nigeria Triathlon Union; Nigeria Volleyball Federation; Nigeria Weightlifting Federation and Nigeria Wrestling Federation.

The question we should be asking ourselves is why on earth should the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, which is just a federation, sign a deal with Puma? In what capacity did the AFN act? In whose interest did they act?

If the above questions are not food for thought enough, then the next question is: are we saying all federations should go and sign independent deals with sportswear companies? Are we saying we would have preferred seeing Ese Brume wearing Puma while Blessing Oborududu wore Nike and Uche Eke who represented Nigeria in gymnastics wearing Adidas?

Are we apportioning blame where blame should be apportioned, or are we simply ignorant of how things work? Every country at the Tokyo Olympics wore some sportswear sponsor because it was their Sports Ministry that agreed the deal and not the independent federations.

What AFN and Ibrahim Shehu Gusau did is an aberration, and it should be punished heavily. It is unacceptable and once again put Nigeria for global ridicule. In what capacity did Gusau sign a deal with Puma? Who gave him the powers to execute such a deal on behalf of the AFN alone?

Let us put politics aside and focus on national interest for once. The so-called social media influencers who have been lashing at the Sports Minister have repeatedly shown that they lack the capacity to grasp the basic workings of government, and their comments carry absolutely no weight if you ask me.

The AFN is a subset in a set, and in this case that set is the Sports Ministry. Sunday Dare can and should be knocked for other things he got wrong, including the doping scandal that we have suffered at the Olympics because it all happened under his watch. Whether it was our medical team that failed us or our coaches, I think the Sports Ministers should take part in the blame.

As for the Puma deal, Gusau should be grilled and punished adequately in line with the laws of the Sports Federation for this arrant nonsense that has not only belittled Nigeria as a country but that has once again portrayed us as a rather corrupt country as if the cases of Abba Kyari and Hushpuppi were not enough for us to deal with in the last weeks.


Caleb Mgbah writes from Lagos.

ok

There is only one reason why: Nigeria is a failed state.

Don't say we should put politics aside because what is happening here is pure politics.
You see most northerners occupying one position or the other in this government believe that this government is their own and as such feels that can do anything they like and nothing will happen.it is even worse and usually became apparent when their superior is a southerner.and the blame lies squarely on no other person than Buhari.
It happened between Amaechi and Sidiki when the later was a minister of state .at the end Buhari had to create a separate aviation ministry for him.Ibe Kachukwu as Minister of petroleum had the same issue with GMD of NNPC,then minister of health had the same issue.i can go on and on.so you can see that it's the lawlessness that have pervaded this administration that is responsible for all this.

Another angle

Not supporting Sunday Dare

BUT

Why should AFN and Ibrahim Shehu Gusau sign a deal with Puma. . . ?

Should the other 24 federations in Nigeria sign deals with Nike, Addidas, O2 and so on.. So we will appear like Almajiri in #Olympics ...?

Hmmmm

OLAPO1:
Not supporting Sunday Dare

BUT

Why should AFN and Ibrahim Shehu Gusau sign a deal with Puma. . . ?

Should the other 24 federations in Nigeria sign deals with Nike, Addidas, O2 and so on.. So we will appear like Almajiri in #Olympics ...?