The Director of Grassroots Sports Development in the Ministry of Youths and Sports, Dr. Ademola Are, has urged the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to respect the ministry in a bid to end the leadership crisis rocking the federation.
It will be recalled that the AFN faction led by Engr. Ibrahim Gusau had dragged the Sports Ministry to court following his impeachment by the Olamide Geroge-led AFN.
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Although the FCT High Court ruled in favour of Gusau, Ministry of Sports went ahead to appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
Are who made the passionate appeal for peaceful resolution of the crisis during an online interview on the FCT Football Update WhatsApp Platform said no effort should be spared in finding a lasting solution to the leadership crisis in the AFN.
“The father doesn’t fight the child. The child must be respectful to the father. All efforts shouldn’t be spared. Let the AFN go back to the ministry and apologise for misdeeds.
“There must be some mistakes that were made. So our board members should calm down. The sports ministry is not interested in fighting anybody,” he said.
The Lagos state born administrator further tasked all federations board members on obeying laid down rules and regulations just as he added that the sports ministry has the right to call any erring member to order.
‘The rule and regulations are there for all of us and if we keep flouting these rules, the international body will sanction us over wrongful interference and we do not want this to happen, hence rules and regulations are meant to be obeyed as rational human beings,” said Are
