A leadership tussle in the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation has led to the impeachment of George Ashiru as NTF president but the Grandmaster insists he is still in charge of the martial arts sport, reports ’TANA AIYEJINA
Nigerian taekwondo was thrown into a state of chaos on December 12, when the President of the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation, George Ashiru, was impeached by board members of the body and replaced with the Vice President Margaret Binga.
Ashiru and other board members were in a meeting in Lagos when a motion for his impeachment was reportedly raised by Tony Anafule and seconded by Saidu Abdullahi.
According to a text message sent to our correspondent and titled NTF Update, “The impeachment of Mr. George Ashiru was for flagrant violation of the Code of Governance. Some of the reasons include running the federation like a sole administrator, inability to defend the sport of taekwondo at critical periods resulting in the downgrading of taekwondo status, unclear financial record of the federation with the board having no access to check legal claims like the seemingly insurance scam etc. By NSC Code of Governance, the vice president takes over.”
Events after the historic decision, which was taken inside the boardroom of the Association Building at the National Stadium, Lagos, have threatened to plunge the federation into jeopardy just few months to the 2016 Olympic Games, with Ashiru insisting he remains the de facto president of the NTF.
“We are gentlemen and martial artistes. This is a coup to remove a senior colleague. In sports, it’s called breach of ethics. Taekwondo is against coup plotting because we are like a military organisation. The legal position is that the National Sports Commission’s decision is final. They will wade in. I have not received any documentary evidence saying that I am no longer the president of the taekwondo federation. This is a matter for the NSC and I will have to wait for their response. Until then, the status quo remains and I am still the President of the NTF,” Ashiru told SUNDAY PUNCH.
Speaking further, he added, “The secretary general (of the federation) is not aware of it; the National Sports Commission is not aware of what they are doing.
“Why is the secretary general, who is from the commission not aware? He is the only one that has powers to issue memos; you can’t have individuals do that on behalf of the federation. Although people can talk but they can’t speak for the federation through memos. They have already broken the law by sending text messages.”
But two-time African champion Binga said she is in charge of the federation even though she admitted that they had to wait for a verdict from the sports ministry.
“The Code of Conduct states that if the president is impeached, the vice president takes charge. I haven’t made a formal statement (as president) but my fellow members address me as the president because that is what the law says.
“I can’t just keep quiet and watch Nigerian taekwondo not moving forward. Actually the board has sent its grievances to the minister and we are waiting for the response,” Binga said.
She added that the members were kept in the dark about the financial situation of the federation. She claimed that Ashiru is not a team player, which she said was having an adverse effect on the sport in Nigeria.
Binga stated, “There have been issues but one of the most critical is the federation’s financial status. Since we came on board, nobody has told us how money has been coming in and going out. This is not a one man game; we elected him to work as president.
“At the previous meeting (before the impeachment) we discovered that a lot of documents were doctored. We have everything on tape. The Olympic Qualifiers are scheduled for February in Morocco but our athletes are not in camp. The same thing happened at the 2015 All Africa Games. He doesn’t play along as a team player.”
Ashiru said claims that he flouted the Code of Governance were false and debunked allegations that he was involved in an insurance scam.
On the issue of the federation’s money, the Grandmaster said he was not a signatory to the body’s account.
He added, “They are spurious allegations. When you say Code of Governance, you have to spell it out. What’s the definition of a sole administrator? We had six tournaments in one year and ran several seminars.
“My vice president runs every tournament; I don’t interfere. The head coach does his job without interference as well. The secretary general calls me for details and I send out monthly updates to members since the day I became president and I copy the NSC. I also ask for feedback from the updates I send.
“If they don’t want my smile, they should tell me and I will simply smile and walk away but the way they have gone about the issue has done a lot of damage to our potential sponsors. Now they will say ‘Nigerian taekwondo has problems.’
“I don’t run the federation account; the presidents are not signatories to accounts of the federations. The sports commission doesn’t give us money and this year, they haven’t sponsored any taekwondo tournament apart from the All Africa Games.
“The insurance issue is the strangest of all the allegations. Those talking about it participated in it. The NSC says the insurance of athletes is compulsory and I told the board that we had to carry out the directive. Two insurance companies were involved. I told them we will insure 1000 athletes.
“The federation charged N3,500 for people to insure themselves; N2,500 for insurance while the remaining N1000, which is the administrative charge, was left in the federation account. Our hope was that if we got N1000 from 1000 athletes, we would be able to raise N1m for the federation.
“That’s a way to generate funds but only 54 people picked up the forms. These people paid directly to the federation account, which I’m not a signatory to. The ex-DG NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye, commended me and the rugby federation called me to know how we did it. That’s why I say it’s the strangest of all the allegations.
“Some of these people (making the allegations) filled their forms and paid for the insurance. It’s a clear process. I even had to pay for the referees. So, it’s a slanderous statement. How can N54,000 be a scam?”
NTF secretary general Monday Obot said the federation does not send information via text messages, adding that any letter that was not from him did not represent the views of the federation.
“As the secretary general of the NTF, I don’t send text messages, I sent press releases on our federation’s letter-headed paper and I sign them. So, if you haven’t seen any letter from us, any other information is not from me or the federation,” Obot said.
But the other members are not relenting in their efforts to oust Ashiru. In a text message on Wednesday, they said the offices of the Sports Minister and NSC Director General; and the NTF secretariat has received a 33-page document titled ‘NTF Leadership Change.’
It added that “constituencies nationwide have okayed Binga as president.”
Ashiru said the present scenario could make or mar the fortunes of the federation.
“What has happened can either strengthen us or affect us adversely. It can give us the opportunity to re-invent the way things are working. If they insist that they will continue with the coup, there’s a possibility that they will destroy the federation,” Ashiru said.
A board member, who pleaded anonymity, said the impeachment was constitutional and not a coup.
He said, “Everybody has a right to their opinion but we should learn how to live with each other. I don’t understand what he means by a coup. I’m sure taekwondo was not listed as a military sport by the NSC.”
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games bronze medallist Chika Chukwumerije, who is the Athletes Representative on the NTF board, is hoping that the issue would be resolved soon, so that the country can prepare adequately for the Olympic Qualifiers.
“I don’t think anyone escalating this issue is helping the youths interested in the sport.
“It is an emotional issue for members. George is a gentleman and he is still a board member, a strong one for that matter. The other members are strong people too. So, we need to work together to get the right results,”Chukwumerije said.
“When we attack each other in the media, it won’t help us. The Olympic qualifiers are from February 5 to 7, 2015. We have to put this aside and start preparing for the event.”
The NSC Director of Federations and Elite Athletes Department, Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi, told our correspondent that her office received a copy of the letter from the NTF board members on Friday, but said a decision has not been taken by the commission.
She said, “They sent the letter on Friday afternoon but I didn’t have time to look at it because I was in a meeting when they brought it.
“We will hold a meeting on the issue on Monday and get back to them (NTF).”
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