Embattled former President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Ibrahim Gusau is seeking reconciliation with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
Gusau’s newfound conciliatory disposition, according to reports, is coming after seizing the password of the federation for over a year and turning himself into the sole administrator of the federation and jeopardizing Nigeria’s relay team’s participation at the Poland world relay by sending an email to World Athletics that Nigeria will not participate.
He had also instituted multiple court cases against the Minister, the Ministry and the Federal Government.
The Guardian of Thursday, 6 May, 2021 reports that, “Meanwhile, embattled AFN President, Ibrahim Shehu Gusau has appealed to the sports ministry and his fellow board members to reconsider their stance on the Puma kits.
“It will be sad for Team Nigeria to abandon the Puma kits as our athletes prepare for the Tokyo Olympics Games. Even if we offend God, we beg for forgiveness. We are humans. Let us put behind what happened in the past and work towards the progress of our great country. Puma gave Nigeria kits worth over $2.5 million for four years and we should make use of them, especially now that there is no money in the country. I have instructed the Technical Director to release the Puma kits for our athletes so that they will appear in uniform at the U.S. Relays and at the Tokyo Olympics. I am ready to work with them”.
But deep investigation revealed that Gusau is seeking reconciliation to protect the deal he had with Puma Gusau.
This is a man who had shunned several reconciliatory efforts in the past.
He took the government to court had also been charged by the IG of Police and is now facing trial for criminal breach of trust, theft and funds diversion.
Gusau refused to sign the resolution reached by the committee of Confederation of African Athletics and World Athletics in April that would have solved and reconciled the parties.
