Sports Minister Blames NFF For Falcons Bonus Saga

Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has blamed the Nigeria Football Federation’s handling of the delay in the payment of the Super Falcons’ entitlements after their triumph at the 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.
Dalung who declared open the 72nd Annual General Assembly of the NFF and did not mince words at the way the football house treated issues relating to request of funds from the federal government for competitions.
“It is worthy of mention that the delay in the payment of the Super Falcons entitlements which degenerated into a national embarrassment could have been averted if the NFF effectively managed the situation,” disclosed Dalung.
“The NFF has formed the habit of requesting for funds for its programme at very short notice and thereafter resort to blackmail to hasten the approval and release of such funds from government. We cannot continue to administer our football in this manner any longer.”
He however directed the NFF to submit its comprehensive programmes for 2017 to the Ministry of Youth and Sports by January with all requests for interventions for scrutiny and effective planning.
Dalung also raised dust regarding the alleged Fifa audit report which hinted that the NFF misappropriated $802,000 of the $1.1 million FIFA’s development grant and he has directed the football house to immediately furnish his office with detailed information of receipt and disbursement.
“I received a report from the NFF intimating me of the FIFA’s audit report which raised queries on the management of the $1.1 million FIFA’s development grant to the NFF. According to the report, FIFA withheld all development funds to Nigeria for lack of proper documentation of $802,000 out of the funds released to NFF. This is a very serious issue that must be given urgent attention to avoid another international embarrassment.
“To this end, the NFF is directed to immediately provide my office with detail information of receipt, disbursement and application of the FIFA development grant accordingly. In addition, a reputable audit firm should be appointed urgently to check the account books of the Federation to ensure that funds are judiciously expended. The audit report must be made public so as to promote transparency, build credibility and enhance your market value.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s women’s team have ended their sit-in protest at a hotel in Abuja after being paid money owed to them.
They were demanding US$23,650 per player from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for winning the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Falcons had been at the hotel in the capital since 6 December.
“The players have all left the hotel in Abuja after they started receiving payments alerts,” the team’s media officer Remi Sulola told reporters
One of the players also confirmed that she and her roommate had been paid.
“It’s taken some time, [because banks don’t work over the weekend] but we’ve finally received our money today,” one player, who insisted on anonymity, told BBC Sport.
“We thank the government, the fans and media for their roles in making sure we got our hard-earned dues.”
To mark the 10th day of their complaint the team protested outside parliament in Abuja while the annual budget was being presented.
This led to the government releasing about US$1.2m to the cash-strapped NFF on Friday to pay the ladies.
Nigeria’s victory in Cameroon was their eighth African women’s title and means they have only twice failed to win the women’s championship since its inception in 1998.
The money was also used to settle outstanding win bonus for the men’s team in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.