Obasanjo wades into AFN/ExxonMobil row

"A letter was sent to President Obasanjo by the AFN boss Dan Ngerem, on the controversial decision by Mobil to pull out of the sponsorship of the annual NNPC/Mobil Track & Field Championship.

The president took interest in the event because it affects a large percentage of the Nigerian youth and would not want any adverse reaction because of this decision," a very reliable source told nigeriasports.com in Abuja.

"We are discussing, but no conclusion has been reached yet. It is just talks at the moment," another source in the athletics federation said.

But nigeriasports.com checks in Abuja shows the president has more than a passing interest in the matter.

"The president wants a conclusive discussion on the matter. The NNPC denied they were ever consulted by the Americans before the decision to stop sponsorship was taken. It is more than a mere presidential reaction. The president wants to know every details on the sponsorship and has so directed," a presidential aide said.

Rita Umoren, Public Affairs Manager of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, had said at a press conference in Lagos last June that the company would stop its sponsorship of the event after the 2005 edition.

"This would be the 15th edition of the NNPC/Mobil Track & Field Championships and we think it time we move on to other spheres of engagement. We are not going to totally abandon the championships, it's just that we would not be solely responsible for the event," Umoren said.

She added that "we are also involved in grassroots athletics development programmes and for now, we want to concentrate on that aspect of sports."

It was an apparent reference to the annual Akwa Ibom State/Mobil Secondary Schools Athletics Championships which holds at the company's production base of Eket, in South Eastern Nigeria. But after last weekend's 15th NNPC/Mobil Championships in Abuja, Ngerem also expressed optimism there would be a leeway for Nigeria's athletics.

"It is so unfair concerning sponsorship in this country. We may decry Mobil for their action, but my question always is: Where are the other multinationals who make millions of Naira from our economy? I think collectively, they all share in the guilt of not putting something into the system to help the youths of this country. But I believe, someday, they would all wake up to that responsibility and act for the good of the youths of Nigeria.'

Nigeria also used this edition of the Track and Field Championships as selection Trials for the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece next August. 24 athletes, representing 100-metre, (men and women) 200-metre (men and women) and 400-metre (men and women) were picked at the end of the meet held in Abuja.

The country will also enter for the 4 X 100M relays (and 4 x 400M if they qualify from the African Championships starting this Wednesday in Congo- Brazaville. Nigeria is OPEC's 5th largest oil producing nation and NNPC holds 60 percent stake in a joint vention operation with Mobil in their Nigerian operation.

By Jo Benson