In providing answers, the petitioners reminded the NFF that it had earlier stated that it had agreed with the Super Falcons players that Nigeria would not pay their bonuses since FIFA had opted to do it.
President Bola Tinubu is under pressure from the Sports Stakeholders Forum in Nigeria to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The forum, represented by Focus Legal Consult, formally petitioned the president on November 11, 2024, claiming that millions of dollars and billions of naira earmarked for the men’s and women’s national football teams were misappropriated by NFF executives.
In providing answers, the petitioners reminded the NFF that it had earlier stated that it had agreed with the Super Falcons players that Nigeria would not pay their bonuses since FIFA had opted to do it.
President Bola Tinubu is under pressure from the Sports Stakeholders Forum in Nigeria to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The forum, represented by Focus Legal Consult, formally petitioned the president on November 11, 2024, claiming that millions of dollars and billions of naira earmarked for the men’s and women’s national football teams were misappropriated by NFF executives.
The NFF has a history of corruption allegations, and this isn’t the first time they’re facing scrutiny.
In fact, a legal practitioner, Alhaji Ibrahim, recently requested that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) share the outcome of its investigation into corruption allegations against past and serving NFF members.
The petitioners stated, “The total sum of Twenty Billion Naira (N20 Billion) or there about has been released to prosecute three major football tournaments besides the yearly budgetary allocations.
“These releases are, Eight Hundred Million Naira (N800,080,000.00) for the Africa women championships, one million, seven hundred and forty-six thousand, one hundred and thirty-eight united state dollars (USD 1,746,138.00) for the participation of the Super Falcons team for the 2023 Women World Cup in New Zealand/Australia and an enormous total of seventeen billion naira (N17 billion, initially N12 billion and N5 billion additional) for the preparation/participation of the Super Eagles team and to also cover the cost of outstanding salary of the Super Eagles foreign coach and participation of various other national teams.
“Further, the Nigeria Football Federation NFF received nine hundred and sixty thousand united state dollars (USD 960,000.00) to prepare the Super Falcons for the 2023 Women World Cup hosted in New Zealand/ Australia, alongside the sum of three million, two hundred thousand united state dollars (USD 3,200,000.00) for the payment of bonuses to the players and prize money/appearance fees for the NFF from the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA.
“The NFF also received the sum of four million united state dollars (USD 4,000,000.00) from CAF as prize money for participating in the final of the 2023 AFCON held in Abidjan Cote D’Ivoire in Jan-Feb 2024.
“Your Excellency sir, our client strongly suspect that the monies released were not properly managed and further suspect discrepancies as a result of huge corruption within the NFF.
“Sir, our client forwarded a breakdown of how the monies were fraudulently disbursed for your observation.”
“In view of the above, our client appeals to your good office to cause an investigation into the fraudulent disbursement of the funds released and take necessary action(s),” the petition partly read.
Analysing the disbursement of funds released to NFF in documents attached to the petition, the Sports Stakeholders Forum questioned the NFF for paying N23,244,000.00 (N23.2 million) to a private company, Peni Gold Links, a third party to pay their players? While in item no 3, Justice Madugu & 29, others were paid the same daily allowances and match bonuses presumably
