By Augustine Akhilomen
The Nigeria Football Federation’s Assistant Director of
Communications, Ademola Olajire has disclosed that the Glass House is
yet to pay the Super Eagles players their match bonuses despite
receiving 10million naira from the Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel.
The Super Eagles defeated their Taifa Stars counterpart 1-0
in Saturday’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo and left for
their respective clubs in Europe without receiving their match bonuses.
Contrary to reports in some media that the NFF converted
the money to pay the allowances and bonuses of the players, Olajire
revealed that the Super Eagles are yet to receive their match bonuses
for their Tanzania’s win on Saturday.
He said that the money was meant for the organization of
the match where the daily allowances of the players were paid from and
not their match bonuses as widely reported in some media.
“That is a white lie.Let me state that the Executive
governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel gave the 10 million naira to
the Nigeria Football Federation after Amaju Pinnick approached him to
help NFF for the organization of the match.It just through the
organisation of the match that paid the daily allowances of the
players,” Olajire said.
The NFF media spokesperson also revealed that the
Federation is working round the clock to ensure that the players get
their bonuses before the team travel to Lusaka to face Zambia in a 2018
World Cup qualifier on October.
“The NFF didn’t pay the match bonus of the players even
though that will be paid before the team next World Cup engagement
against Zambia on October after they must have gotten some money. But
what they were able to pay was the daily allowances of the players and I
can tell you that the team captain and NFF president were present when
the money was paid. Anybody can reach out to his Excellency to clarify
was the money was meant for.” he concluded.