Rio Olympics: Minister summons AFN, FEAD staff over air ticket scandal


Solomon Dalung

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has summoned the Secretary, Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Olumide Bamiduro, to clarify the ticket outrage that shook the online networking at the weekend.

An announcement by the minster's Special Adviser on Media, Nneka Anibeze, said on Sunday in Lagos that the service's staff of the Federation of Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) was additionally summoned.

It will be reviewed that a mail purportedly composed by the AFN secretary had solicited competitors to send a gauge from what their ticket to Rio may cost.

The said mail additionally guaranteed them that discounts would be given if endorsed by the service for buy by the competitors.

The announcement said that the clergyman had washed his hands off the mail that became famous online on Saturday.

It included that Dalung had in a public statement on Saturday said that he had neither trained anybody to push such data nor even quieted such to FEAD.

It additionally said that Dalung had cautioned that the individuals who composed such a letter requesting that competitors purchase their air tickets to Rio would be researched and endorsed likewise.

"I therefore restate that no competitor has been approved or requested that purchase his or her ticket to the Olympic Games.

"Whoever that composed the letter did as such on his or her own particular accord without due discussion with the supervisor of games in the nation which is the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

"We are completely dedicated to the welfare of our competitors and will guarantee that they are not mentally influenced by diversions brought about by this letter,'' it cited Dalung as saying.

In the interim, it has said that competitors would begin moving to the Games Village on Aug. 1, 2016.

"The Ministry of Youth and Sports is to guarantee the smooth development of competitors abroad to the Games Village in Rio.''