The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission has begun investigation into the missing $135,000 IAAF fund mistakenly paid into the account of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Punchng report.
Spokesperson of the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa, confirmed this to our correspondent on the telephone on Monday.
While assuring that the anti-corruption agency would do a thorough job, Okoduwa said, “I can confirm to you that investigation has begun on the missing $135,000 IAAF fund.”
She, however, failed to give further details on the investigation.
While the world athletics body IAAF was supposed to pay the AFN $15,000, it mistakenly paid $150,000 as grant and had asked for a refund when the whereabouts of the excess could not be easily traced.
The missing $135, 000, which has continued to raise controversy among stakeholders of the AFN, was later claimed to have been used to purchase kits for athletes and settle part of the payment of athletes’ allowances for Asaba Championship.
The drama surrounding the missing money reached its peak when some aggrieved board members attempted to remove the President of the AFN, Shehu Gusau, and demanded for investigation of funds disbursed to his administration.
Despite a reconciliation meeting conveyed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, the aggrieved board members insisted that investigation must be carried out.
Subsequently, Gusau declared that he was ready to be probed and wrote a letter to the ICPC to investigate the allegations levelled against him.
Gusau in the letter gave a brief detail of the grant’s payment and clarified that it was paid before he took over as the AFN head.
A copy of the letter submitted by Gusau reads in part, “I am inviting the chairman to investigate the AFN. This is due to some allegation involving the IAAF missing $135,000.
“This has caused a great deal of disrepute to Nigeria as a nation. May you please investigate to establish the veracity of the matter. It is expedient that this investigation is carried out immediately.”
