Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, July 01, 2004.
Ngerem forecloses return to AFN
By Pius Anakali
Senior
Correspondent,
Lagos
AFN boss, Dan
Ngerem has foreclosed his return to the federation after the expiration of his
tenure. Speaking in Lagos over the weekend, Ngerem, whose tenure has been
riddled with a lot of crisis, said he has done his best to improve the fortune
of the sport in the country, saying that others should come and contribute
their own quota.
He said in spite of
the economic crisis facing the nation, the AFN has done its little best adding
that others who are interested in the sport, corporate outfit should join hand
with the AFN to move the sport forward. According to him, the only way the
sports can move forward is only when every one including companies come
together in the interest of both the athletes and the nation.
However, Athletes
who heard the news of Ngerem decision not to return to AFN after the expiration
of his tenure have said the news is a big relief. They said most athletes had
faired badly, noting that the only way to get the athletes moving again is to
get people who are more interested in their welfare rather those
who are bent on satisfying
themselves at the expense of the athletes.
We are happy at the
news. It would be a blessing to most of us. We have tasted Ngerem and we know
he has done his best but we want another person to come and contribute his own
quota to the development of Athletics in Nigeria. One of the coaches attached
to the federation said, his leaving would be a big relief noting that Ngerem’s
tenure has witnessed more crisis that any other before it.
“Though one
can safely say he has contributed to the federation in his own way but it is
also true that his tenure has been a misfortune of some sort.
I say this because
it was under him that Mobil
announced their phased withdrawal from sports and also it is under Ngerem the
UNIC stopped sponsorship of the
famed UNIC Classic”, the coach said
