First, the needful
disclosure. I am a Catholic and as such immunised from any accusation
of trying to run down the Catholic Church. The child sex scandal that
is ravaging the Catholic Church in Ireland, Brazil and Germany is
enervating. Let’s not assume that sexual abuse is not in the Catholic
Church in Nigeria. What I can say is that it is not largely directed at
children; but to teenage females. What irritates in the revelations in
these countries and in earlier scandals in the U.S.A is that the Church
is aware and tries to cover up by coercing the victims to sign vows of
silence. What is behind such callous effort is known as the brotherhood
morality- to sustain the integrity of the clergy or the group.
The brotherhood
morality is manifest in the disgraceful effort by the Athletics
Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to rubbish the career of Vivian
Chukwuemeka, the shot put athlete. We should be grateful to Olukayode
Thomas for the story in last Sunday’s NEXT which unravelled the
scandal. The story calls to question the integrity of the drug testing
procedure.
In this country of
mini-dictators, it is improbable that an individual could challenge an
institution and emerge victorious. If AFN was not walking from answers
to questions, the fact that there was a mix-up in the bottle number of
Vivian with that of an unnamed (or is it unknown) athlete would have
been enough proof for the AFN to call off its inquisition. How can the
athletics body say that the mix-up was not “sufficient to invalidate
the adverse analytical findings?” Did AFN test for DNA that makes it to
be sure that urine sample (in spite of the mix-up) is definitely
Vivian’s?
More so, Vivian
paid for a representative to be present at the testing in South Africa;
yet her representative was denied audience.
Was AFN not on a
fishing expedition? Vivian was accused of having failed a drugs test
and when she went for a hearing organised by AFN, she was presented
with the Orwellian charge of “aggravation of violation” (translation:
an athlete, Amaka Ogoegbulam, alleged that Vivian gave her the drugs
she took.) Yet, she was convicted over “adverse analytical findings.”
Which clinic took the test given that University of Free State Doping
Control Laboratory did not conduct the test because the number did not
match with her name?
Protecting Amaka
Is Amaka a kid they
are protecting? If Vivian gave Amaka the drugs, was she obliged to
ingest? Is she not of age to know the consequences of her action?
I am disappointed
that the defence of the doping officer, Femi Ayorinde, is that as an
assistant director, he has all the money he needs. How much does an
assistant director in the civil service earn to inoculate one against
temptations? Does Ayorinde think we are kids? How can he say that it is
not possible to manipulate samples? Yet, one happened with Vivian’s
sample which he dismisses as typographical error. Why was there no
typographical error in the samples of Amaka and the other accused,
Toyin Augustus?
And why was Toyin
not named initially as being one of the four that failed the drugs
test? Which documentation did Toyin provide to back her claim of taking
drugs for cervical cancer? What eventually led AFN to ban Toyin after
accepting her excuse which made her avoid the suspension clamped on the
other three?
I urge Mercy Nku to
speak up as she could offer clarity in the mess? The allegation that
Ayorinde apologised after Vivian accused him of switching her sample
and number with that of Uche Emedolu at the Gateway National Sports
Festival deserves investigation. And if Mercy validates the allegation,
Ayorinde should be prosecuted.
It is not
sufficient to dismiss Vivian’s allegations as that of a drowning lady.
We are in Nigeria and know that sexual harassment is rampant in this
country. People in authority now see satiation of sexual desire as one
of the perks of office.
The Police should get involved in this case as AFN president,
Solomon Ogba, is awaiting a petition. So, if Vivian does not petition,
these allegations against AFN process and its officials would be swept
under the carpet. Folks, that’s brotherhood morality at play!
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