IAAF gives AFN 2-week deadline to refund $130,000
The International Association of Athletics Federation has threatened to sanction its affiliate in Nigeria, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) over its failure to reimburse the cash that was wrongfully paid into the account of the federation since May 17, 2017.
In a letter sent to the President of the AFN, Egnr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau and signed by the IAAF Senior Manager, Governance, member, and International Relations Department, Jee Isram pointed out that the AFN was contacted immediately the anomaly was sighted on March 18, 2018, to refund the sum of 130,000 US Dollars that was wrongly credited.
It is believed that due to the Treasury Single Account policy of the current administration the cash was paid into the Government account while the Ministry of Sports headed by Solomon Dalung would clear the
cash from the TSA and made it available for the AFN.
Detailing the sequence of correspondences between both Federations and even the Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung, Isram noted in the letter: “You were informed on 18 March 2018 by our CEO of a payment made by
the IAAF to the bank account of your federation on 17 May 2017. A sum of 150,000 US Dollars was transferred by the IAAF of which 130,000 US Dollars were wrongfully credited.
“We promptly notified you of this over-payment and followed up several written correspondences as well as a meeting with you in November 2017, requesting that you reverse the bank transfer for the overpaid
amount to no avail.
“On 28 June 2018, you informed us that the Ministry of sports was ready to refund 50% of that amount and despite several telephone conversations, the amount was still not paid. While we were in Asaba in August 2018 during the African Senior Championships we met with the minister of Sports and his Permanent Secretary. We discussed about the return of the funds to the IAAF and until today we have not heard anything.
“We understand that the Minister of Sports will be stepping down soon and it is imperative that you arrange for the return of the full amount within two weeks, at the latest. Failure to receive the funds back within that period, we will have no alternative than to apply appropriate sanctions against your Federation.”