The President of the Coalition of Supporters Group of Nigeria (COSGON), Kunle Awosika, has decried the leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Federation of Gymnastics (NFG), calling for immediate government intervention into what he described as the “systematic decay” within the body, also called Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria (GFN).
Awosika made the call in an open letter made available to newsmen, alleging that the Federation, under the leadership of Prince Kelvin Erhunmunse, was plagued by deep-rooted leadership crises, including nepotism, unconstitutional tenure elongation, election irregularities, and visa racketeering.
He claimed that the current administration had undermined the credibility of the sport and placed it on the brink of collapse.
“We are no longer dealing with just poor leadership. This is now about the death of a sport that once held promise for Nigeria’s Olympic ambitions,” Awosika said.
According to him, family members and close associates of the Federation’s leadership allegedly occupy strategic positions, while access to quality facilities and international competitions remains out of reach for deserving athletes.
“There is no accountability, no fairness. Athletes lack standard training facilities. Grassroots development has been abandoned, and Nigeria’s presence on the international gymnastics stage is almost nonexistent,” Awosika said.
Awosika sadly observed that despite gymnastics being one of the most prestigious Olympic disciplines globally, the country’s performance in the sport had stagnated, trailing behind even smaller African nations in competition and development.
COSGON boss, therefore, urged the Federal Ministry of Sports Development, the National Sports Commission, and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to immediately investigate the Federation’s activities.
Besides, he equally called on the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) to send an independent fact-finding delegation to assess the situation in Nigeria.
Awosika, while making the call, noted that the credibility and future of Nigerian gymnastics were at stake, saying that it was time for decisive, corrective action as the “current trajectory can no longer be ignored.”
“The credibility and future of Nigerian gymnastics are at stake. The current trajectory can no longer be ignored. It is time for decisive, corrective action,” he said.
The Coalition warned that should the government fail to act, COSGON would mobilise civil society, athletes, and the wider sporting community for nationwide advocacy campaigns and potential legal actions.
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