BY RAYMOND NWADUBA
Imminent crisis looms in Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) as members gear up for a showdown with the board which could end in court, thereby cutting short the fragile peace that existed in the association.
Today, many sport federations in the country are engulfed in one crisis or another which have led to different litigations all in the name of seeking control for the soul of the Federations, at the expense of inclusive and progressive leadership.
However, top Boxing Promoter and CEO of Yucateco Boxing Promotions, Omonlei Yakubu Imadu shared his thoughts on the matter bedeviling the federation while addressing the media on Monday in Abeokuta where the emergency meeting was held, alleging a grand plot to shut out some people who are stakeholders in the association.
According to the Yucateco boss, what the media witnessed was a typical example of corruption fighting back.
“What you see here today is corruption, as a matter of fact systemic corruption. But I want this fact to be clear that in the struggle for positivity, for a change, when there is too much corruption in the system and when you try to bring change the system will fight back. So what you see happening here is corruption fighting back.
“But be it as it may, we are not going to rest on our oars because the future of our younger generation in terms of positive engagement and giving them a path for them to establish their career is key. It’s sacrosanct and we’re not going to relent on that.
Speaking further, Imadu who serves as the President of the Boxing Promoters Association of Nigeria (BPAN) maintained that “it’s a way by the current board to sabotage the system. You can imagine one of them standing up before the media to say she has spent 35 years on the board of the NBF but there’s nothing to show for it.
Imadu also praised hosts Ogun for their massive investment to ensure the success of the ongoing National Sports Festival.
“We are all aware of what happened in this Sports Festival, Ogun State did wonderfully well, they invested heavily, the same with National Sports Commission (NSC) such that in every other sport when you get to the arena you know something is happening in Nigeria but with the exception of boxing.
“When you get to boxing venue Inter House sports is even better than it. And who’s responsible for that, NBF, he said..
He stated that people were asking question why it was like that only in boxing. But they including the media have seen us private individuals and clubs organize boxing competitions and you know what we have done in a very short period of time compared to what we are seeing here which is a complete shamble.
“The answer to the question everyone is asking why boxing is different was provided by the lady that said she has been on the board for 35 years.
“How can the Secretary General of the federation, a Civil Servant whom just joined and was posted into the federation in less than five months sell all the archives, boxing history of those who have worked very hard to some Aboki for N40,000 and he is still sitting in the board of Nigeria Boxing Federation as the Secretary General?
“Page 23 of the NBF status stated “that the formation of the NBF for any annual or general assembly, shall have two representatives of all the formations which includes state associations and private clubs affiliated to the NBF which must be invited and two third of them must form a quorum because important issues that affect their lives is being discussed.
“We have over twelve clubs and when the Secretary General of the federation came in he wrote to them that he has increased the annual due from N20,000 to N50,000. They tasked all the private.clubs which they paid. Majority of the clubs which are actually doing the work at the grassroots do not even have a dime. They ran to me, as a stakeholder in boxing, looking at what I have been doing with Yucateco and trying to change the face of boxing in Nigeria and Africa at the amateur level.
“So when they came to me, l loaned each of them the sum of fifty thousand naira each which amounted to N600,000 and this money was transfered directly to Olalekan Fash. The very first question is why should the money of the NBF go into his personal account. This is wrong. But the fear of them being victimized made me give them the money and they affiliated.
“But they all came to this meeting today which the board said they cannot be part of this because they want to tamper the constitution to shut some people out since they fear they will not get the numbers if these clubs are involved”, he said
The board according to him claimed that no club should affiliate with the association but with the state which is affiliated to them which is not cited in the constitution. The question now is how come the Secretary collected affiliation money from these clubs which recognizes them, only for the him to turn around to take side for political reasons? The job of a secretary is not to take sides because it will impeed the association.
“I was able to talk to the clubs to step outside which we will approach the court to resolve the matter”, he concluded.
