German sportswear manufacturing company Puma has announced the termination of their four-year kits contract with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
This occurred after the federal government rejected their $2.7 Million kits which was freely donated to the the Nigerian athletes competing at this year's olympics.
In the statement signed by the Director-General of the Ibrahim Gusau-led AFN, Siminilaye Pepple, the sportswear company stated that a financial reward for the medal winning athletes were also rejected as government preferred to use public funds to purchase the outfits elsewhere.
Prior to this, the sports ministry had stated that Team Nigeria athletes were not going to use Puma kits at the ongoing Olympics despite the Gusau group sending them to Tokyo.
“It is common knowledge that the former AFN president, Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, with his co-travellers, is desperate to extricate himself from a contract that he controversially signed the AFN into, which has now placed him in a position of trying to blackmail Team Nigeria into wearing the kits,” sports minister Sunday Dare said.
The minister added that the ministry will not commit the Nigerian government and Nigerian athletes to a deal which the ministry has not sighted the contractual documents that ties Nigerian athletes to a five-year contract with Puma.
After the announcement, some disappointed Nigerian took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the issue.
Many wondered why the federal government took a decision to reject the PUMA contributions and let the representatives struggle at the olympic games.
Others are calling for the resignation of the Minister of Youth and Sport, Sunday Dare.
Below are some Twitter reactions;
A deal that would have benefited Nigeria as a whole has been terminated why?
— Emex Henshaw (@Emex_Henshaw) August 5, 2021
Due to pride and cluelessness
So pissed
Other international Brands would never take Nigeria serious#SundayDare
Other countries went to Tokyo Olympics to participate and make their country proud, Team Nigeria went to Tokyo to protest.
— Hussein O.Z ???????????? (@lazyyuth001) July 30, 2021
What exactly is the function of sport ministry under Sunday dare?#SundayDare
The Greatest undoing of Africa as a continent and Nigeria as a country is LEADERSHIP.
— oLamidayo (@o_Lamidayo) August 5, 2021
When will Africa get it right in the place of LEADERSHIP, the incoming youth are also vulnerable to all of these odoriferous.
Imagine the mess our Athletes in Tokyo are facing.#SundayDare
#SundayDare
— BiafranBoy (@IkennaMaduako) August 5, 2021
You've not done well at all even though you started very well as the youth minister. You have to take responsibility and sincerely apologize to our hard working athletes who pride made you let down.
#SundayDare should be sacked. He is not fit to hold that office. Hope PMB is not sleeping on this...
— Agada Stephen Michael???????? (@agadastephenmic) August 5, 2021
