The House of Representatives has resolved to probe the purported mismanagement of $25 million in financial grants which have accumulated for the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The legislators also resolution to call NFF leadership to the House Committee on Sports to come and make full accounts of all the receipts and expenditures on the grants.
The resolution was a follow-up to a motion of urgent public importance moved on Tuesday by Hon. Adedayo Adesola (Lagos) and Hon. Felix Nwaeke (Rivers).
Moving the motion, Adesola claimed that the poor management of FIFA and CAF funds had been a factor in Nigeria’s poor performance at international football tournaments. He remembered that FIFA launched an audit inquiry into the poor handling of a $1.1 million development grant to the NFF in December 2016, with $802,000 having no documentation so much because then Sports Minister Solomon Dalung instructed an independent audit.
He also stated that between 2018 and 2019, NFF officials, including then-President Amaju Pinnick, were investigated by the EFCC and ICPC over misuse of sponsorship funds and development grants.
Adesola cited the roaring controversy surrounding the diversion of a $1.2 million FIFA grant allegedly used for the construction of Birnin Kebbi Stadium, which he characterized as substandard compared to similar ones constructed in other African countries with the same amount of funding.
“As another African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and World Cup play-offs come in sight, there has to be a move to stem further public and donor funds abuse by the NFF leadership,” he added.
