On January 7, 2024, the Presidency announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved for the payment of 12 Billion Naira to cover allowances and bonuses owed the Super Eagles and various national teams.
Sports Minister John Enoh confirmed this approval in an official statement and at the recent National Council on Sports Meeting in Enugu he proudly listed securing this special fund as one of his achievements in office.
From this intervention fund, what has so far been paid out to Super Eagles are match bonuses for the 2023 AFCON home qualifiers against Sao Tome & Principe and Sierra Leone.
These monies were paid in Naira as is the standard for home games.
The team have NOT been paid other outstanding monies, ranging from allowances for friendly matches to 2022 World Cup qualifiers and dating as far back as 2021.
This special fund was to pay the Flying Eagles outstanding allowances and bonuses for the 2023 U20 AFCON in Egypt as well as the 2023 U20 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.
Allowances for 28 days – 15 days at the U20 AFCON and 13 days at the World Cup – as well as qualifying bonuses from both U20 AFCON qualifiers as well as the U20 AFCON proper.
This has NOT been paid almost six months after President Tinubu’s approval.
This same fund was to pay the allowances and bonuses of the Golden Eaglets 2023 U17 AFCON campaign in Algeria as well as the WAFU B qualifiers in Ghana the previous year.
This has also NOT been paid.
The same is the unfortunate case of both the women’s national team, the Falconets.
NFF Board Members and NFF secretariat staff who were involved in these international engagements have this month been paid.
The Mischief
The NFF official statement that tried so vigorously to discredit our factual story was simply mischievous in announcing that all Super Eagles 2023 AFCON allowances and bonuses have been paid, even when that was not what is in contention.
Discerning readers only have to read our story that caused such ranting, brain washing, angst and personal vendetta from the NFF to see through this hoax.
It was a totally misguided attempt to twist and grossly misrepresent the facts that the main beneficiaries of the special fund have all been paid even when our story clearly reported otherwise.
Joseph Goebbels, the notorious Nazi propagandist, was outdone here.
The Presidency and the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), of which the NFF as a Federal Government parastatal is directly under, must wade into this scandal with immediate alacrity.
They must ensure that the purpose that the fund was approved for is achieved because the consequences of anything contrary are far-reaching and go against President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The NFF must for the purpose of public accountability and transparency publish today when and how much the various national teams were paid from this fund.
The monies owed the various national teams be cleared forthwith because six months after this was approved, the main beneficiaries, who are alive, have yet to receive such payment.
No amount of name calling, mudslinging, gutter insults and blackmail must deny these true heroes of Nigeria from enjoying what they worked so hard for and which President Tinubu has so generously approved.
