Nesiama Returns to AFN Board as Coaches’ Rep

Retired Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama has been voted as the representative of the technical body on the board of the new executive board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria,AFN.

At the election held at the sidelines of the AFN Olympic trials at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos and organised by the coaches and technical officials, Nesiama polled a total of 40 votes to beat his only Challenger, Policeman and coach, Solomon Aliyu who polled 33 votes. Meanwhile, the technical arm of the AFN has congratulated chief Tonobok Okowa on his election as the federation’s president.

In a message jointly signed by the officiating officials and coaches, the two bodies that make up the technical arm of the AFN and signed by Godwin Ogogo (for coaches) and Professor Lucas Ogunjimi ( for officiating officials), the body says the transparent manner in which the election that brought in Okowa as the new AFN president was organised shows it is a new dawn for athletics .

‘The coaches and officiating officials rejoice with you on your election as the president of Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

‘We believe your coming will signal the end of the crisis that has engulfed the federation since 2017 and enjoin you to bring lasting peace to our dear federation,’ they said in the statement. Continuing, the body expresses delight with Okowa’s statement during his inauguration that the welfare of athletes and officials tops his list of priorities at the federation. ‘We are happy you recognised the importance of athletes and technical officials in the development of athletics and want to appeal to you to carry all stakeholders along in your decision making.

‘We also want to appeal to you to act, always, in consonance with to prevent the reoccurrence of the constitutional crisis that almost tore the AFN apart.’. The body also disowned the purported election of Oluyomi Sule as technical representative on the board of the AFN led by its former embattled president, Shehu Ibrahim Gusau. ‘Who elected coach Olu Sule? Who supervised the process which enthroned him as the technical representative on the board of AFN?’ further read the statement and the body warned coach Sule to stop parading himself as the technical representative on the AFN board.’