Navy Commodore Nesiama(l) and Chief Solomon Ogba. Making The AFN their business venture
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) have been using their offices to do business with the athletes thereby jeopardizing the chances of ever being neutral and objective in carrying out their duties.
Investigations done reveal that the technical director Navy Commodore Omatseyi Nesiama is acting as an athlete’s representative and giving athletes contract to sign, taking 15% of all their income. A number of home based athletes have been told to sign some even with the threat of losing their places in the national team.
A call to the IAAF reveals that Commodore Nesiama recently registered as an athlete’s representative through the AFN as one is required to be registered via the home federation and this way may avoid taking the ‘IAAF athletes representative examination’. He uses an agency name called Soloo Sports Management & Marketing LLC (the “Representative”) with the address of 11002 Veirs Mill Road, Suite 305, Silver Spring, Maryland 20902, USA and 19 Gbemisola Street, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) have been using their offices to do business with the athletes thereby jeopardizing the chances of ever being neutral and objective in carrying out their duties.
Investigations done reveal that the technical director Navy Commodore Omatseyi Nesiama is acting as an athlete’s representative and giving athletes contract to sign, taking 15% of all their income. A number of home based athletes have been told to sign some even with the threat of losing their places in the national team.
A call to the IAAF reveals that Commodore Nesiama recently registered as an athlete’s representative through the AFN as one is required to be registered via the home federation and this way may avoid taking the ‘IAAF athletes representative examination’. He uses an agency name called Soloo Sports Management & Marketing LLC (the “Representative”) with the address of 11002 Veirs Mill Road, Suite 305, Silver Spring, Maryland 20902, USA and 19 Gbemisola Street, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.
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Investigations show that “Soloo “ stands for “Solomon Ogba”, who is the president of the federation, while the registered address is his address in Maryland and the Lagos address is Chief Solomon Ogba’s address in Lagos where he houses his media publication, Sportsday. A daily sports newspaper.
A copy of the athletes contract obtained shows that:
SCHEDULE “A”
The Athlete shall pay the Representative a fee equal to:
__15____ per cent of the gross amounts paid to or earned by the Athlete for entering any athletic competition, including prize money, appearance fees (including fees paid for promotional activities and ancillary to the competition), or other performance bonuses, guarantees, and the value of any prizes or bonuses paid in the form of merchandise of any kind.
__15____ per cent of the gross amounts paid to or earned by the Athlete for entering into any World Athletics Series Competition, including prize money, appearance fees (including fees paid for promotional activities and ancillary to the competition), or other performance bonuses, guarantees, and the value of any prizes or bonuses paid in the form of merchandise of any kind.
__15____ per cent of gross amounts paid for sponsorship or endorsement contracts with shoe, apparel and/or sporting goods companies.
__15____ per cent of gross amounts paid for all other sponsorship or endorsement contracts or other services rendered as Representative.
All fees shall be paid when the Athlete, or the Representative acting on his behalf, receives the amounts against which the fees are calculated. The Representative shall be entitled to and compensated for continuing fees for services rendered during the period of this Agreement, including all fees or commissions of any sponsorship, endorsement, or other commercial agreement(s) that the Athlete has entered .
Further more the contract was signed thus:
IF THE REPRESENTATIVE IS A CORPORATION, PARTNERSHIP, JOINT VENTURE OR OTHER ENTITY, EACH AFFILIATED AUTHORISED ATHLETE’S REPRESENTATIVE WHO PERFORMS SERVICES HEREUNDER SHALL SIGN THE FOLLOWING:
I, Omatseye Nesiama (Oscar-Oscar) an Authorised Athlete’s Representative, hereby agree to be personally bound by all of the representations, covenants, and obligations of the Representative, an entity to which I am affiliated, under this Agreement.
_______________________ __1/2/2014_ _______ OON _______
Witness Date Principal Authorised
Athlete’s Representative
CERTIFICATE OF ATHLETE’S AVAILABILITY TO THE IAAF’S WEBSITE
I, Omatseye Nesiama (Oscar-Oscar) the Authorised Athlete’s Representative hereby certify that I am satisfied that the Athlete has access to the Regulation and the Terms and Conditions as they appear on the IAAF website. In the event the Athlete does not have access to the IAAF website, I certify that I have made the Regulations and the Terms and Conditions available to the Athlete.
Questions are arising as to why the Technical Director of a federation should double as an athletes agent with the president of the federation. Why are the board members using the federation as an avenue for business ventures? Is this how they hope to develop grassroot athletes? It is pitiful but that it seems is the sorry state of athletics in Nigeria.
A copy of the athletes contract obtained shows that:
SCHEDULE “A”
The Athlete shall pay the Representative a fee equal to:
__15____ per cent of the gross amounts paid to or earned by the Athlete for entering any athletic competition, including prize money, appearance fees (including fees paid for promotional activities and ancillary to the competition), or other performance bonuses, guarantees, and the value of any prizes or bonuses paid in the form of merchandise of any kind.
__15____ per cent of the gross amounts paid to or earned by the Athlete for entering into any World Athletics Series Competition, including prize money, appearance fees (including fees paid for promotional activities and ancillary to the competition), or other performance bonuses, guarantees, and the value of any prizes or bonuses paid in the form of merchandise of any kind.
__15____ per cent of gross amounts paid for sponsorship or endorsement contracts with shoe, apparel and/or sporting goods companies.
__15____ per cent of gross amounts paid for all other sponsorship or endorsement contracts or other services rendered as Representative.
All fees shall be paid when the Athlete, or the Representative acting on his behalf, receives the amounts against which the fees are calculated. The Representative shall be entitled to and compensated for continuing fees for services rendered during the period of this Agreement, including all fees or commissions of any sponsorship, endorsement, or other commercial agreement(s) that the Athlete has entered .
Further more the contract was signed thus:
IF THE REPRESENTATIVE IS A CORPORATION, PARTNERSHIP, JOINT VENTURE OR OTHER ENTITY, EACH AFFILIATED AUTHORISED ATHLETE’S REPRESENTATIVE WHO PERFORMS SERVICES HEREUNDER SHALL SIGN THE FOLLOWING:
I, Omatseye Nesiama (Oscar-Oscar) an Authorised Athlete’s Representative, hereby agree to be personally bound by all of the representations, covenants, and obligations of the Representative, an entity to which I am affiliated, under this Agreement.
_______________________ __1/2/2014_ _______ OON _______
Witness Date Principal Authorised
Athlete’s Representative
CERTIFICATE OF ATHLETE’S AVAILABILITY TO THE IAAF’S WEBSITE
I, Omatseye Nesiama (Oscar-Oscar) the Authorised Athlete’s Representative hereby certify that I am satisfied that the Athlete has access to the Regulation and the Terms and Conditions as they appear on the IAAF website. In the event the Athlete does not have access to the IAAF website, I certify that I have made the Regulations and the Terms and Conditions available to the Athlete.
Questions are arising as to why the Technical Director of a federation should double as an athletes agent with the president of the federation. Why are the board members using the federation as an avenue for business ventures? Is this how they hope to develop grassroot athletes? It is pitiful but that it seems is the sorry state of athletics in Nigeria.
By: Eneeubong
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