Olusoji Fasuba has urged the Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, to follow through on his promise to investigate Favour Ofili’s exclusion from the women’s 100m event at the 2024 Olympic Games and hold those responsible accountable, according to reports on Sunday.
Like many Nigerians, the former Nigerian and African 100m record holder is still reeling from the disappointment of Nigeria failing to secure a medal at the Games, despite sending 88 athletes to compete in 12 sports.
The UK-based Olympian expressed his frustration in a statement on his Facebook page on Saturday, criticizing the incident and condemning the incompetence and self-serving nature of Nigerian sports administrators.
“Nigeria is a country where officials can choose not to register athletes for events without facing any repercussions. To date, no names have been released, and we are still waiting for the minister’s promised investigation into the matter,” said Fasuba, a member of the men’s 4×100 relay team that won silver at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
He added, “Instead of addressing their own failures as board members and administrators, they have focused on criticizing the athletes for supposed indiscipline. It is worrying that individuals with little to no experience in sports and a history of unsuccessful administrative efforts are being appointed to lead sports yet again!
“This contributes to the unfortunate reality that Nigerian athletes often win medals for other countries rather than their homeland. The most troubling aspect is that the youth, who represent Nigeria’s future, are continually marginalized because the current leadership refuses to acknowledge their failures.
“I hope the minister will honor his commitment to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable, rather than allowing this to become another empty promise.”
Despite qualifying for the women’s 100m event, Ofili was not registered to compete in Paris and only discovered this a few days before the event began. Both the National Olympics Committee and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria refused to take responsibility, with the minister pledging a thorough investigation.
“What’s the motivation behind this? What’s the trail of communication from the AFN to the NOC, the IOC, and World Athletics?” Fasuba asked on his X handle.
“At what point did her name drop from the 100-meter race? Who’s responsible for this? What’s the trail of communication from the AFN to the NOC, IOC, and World Athletics? These are questions that need to be answered immediately after the Olympics.”
It’s been a week since the Games ended, and there has been no word on the promised investigation, leading Fasuba to fear that the matter could be quietly dismissed, as has happened with many others in the past.
Meanwhile, an unnamed official from the AFN has labeled Ofili as ‘uncontrollable.’
In a recent report, the official alleged that Ofili has a history of disregarding AFN procedures.
“Ofili is becoming increasingly difficult for the AFN to manage. There are things we’ve kept from the public regarding her behavior. At the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, Ofili refused to stay in the camp with other Nigerian athletes, including Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume, opting to stay in a hotel with her coach instead. We tolerated it.
“Ofili didn’t attend the AFN National Trials in Nigeria, where athletes were selected for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. We tolerated it. Even at the championships in Budapest, Ofili refused to train with other Nigerian athletes to perfect the baton exchange, insisting on instructions only from her American coach. As a result, our 4x100m relay team lost their spot in the final due to a poor baton exchange between Ofili and Rosemary Chukwuma. We tolerated it.
“For the national trials ahead of the African Games in Ghana, Ofili didn’t show up, nor did she bother to attend the Games in Accra. We tolerated it.
“Her biggest disappointment came when she refused to compete in the semifinal of the 100m at the 23rd African Senior Championships in Douala, Cameroon, in July this year.
“Our immediate reaction was to remove her and Rosemary Chukwuma, who also skipped her 100m semifinal event, from the team heading to the Paris Olympics. But the Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh, intervened and invited them for discussions at his hotel in Douala, without our knowledge. This made it difficult for the AFN to take strict action against them.”
