NFF must account for N1.6b world cup fund, Dalung insists

• Ex-Falcons officials threaten to storm senate over unpaid allowances

Sports minister, Solomon Dalung is not relenting in his efforts to know how the sum of N1.6 billion allegedly released to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to cover its expenditure up to the quarterfinals of the Russia 2018 World Cup was spent.

The Super Eagles crashed out in the group stage, following a 2-1 defeat to Argentina.With the NFF said to owe its workers five months salaries, the sports minister is insisting that government would not release more funds to the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF until it duly accounts for the N1.6 billion granted them for the 2018 World Cup.

According Sports247.com, the inability of the NFF to retire the amount long after Russia 2018 World Cup ended in July has raised questions about the credibility of NFF financial spending.

The report quoted the NFF Secretary General Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, confirming that they were yet to communicate to the sports ministry on how the World Cup cash was spent.

The NFF was said to have used the outstanding funds from the Russia 2018 World Cup to finance Nigeria’s participation at the recent FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France, as well as Golden Eaglets campaign at the zonal qualifiers in Niger for the 2019 U-17 AFCON without seeking clearance from the sports ministry.

Sports247.com further stated that the NFF, in its bid to out smart the sports minister, quickly put up a two-page advert in a national newspaper to announce its audited accounts for the outgoing year. The action is said to have further miffed Dalung and top officials in the sports ministry.
Sanusi refused to pick calls put across to him by The Guardian yesterday.

Meanwhile, some ex-officials of the Super Falcons have threatened to approach the senate to demand their winning bonuses two years after leading the team to defeat Senegal 2-0 to qualify for Cameroon 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.

The Falcons qualified for the 10th Africa Cup of Nations by beating Senegal 2-0 in a return fixture in April 2016 after a 1-1 draw in Dakar. But two years after, the winning bonus of $5,000 for the players and $10,000 for the coach is said to be ‘hanging’ in the NFF secretariat, after the sports ministry had allegedly made the money available to the NFF to be paid to the players and their coaches.