The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu, has declared that the federation would not make a u-turn on the decision to reduce the winning bonus of the Super Eagles from the staggering $10,000 fixed during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa by the Presidential Task Force to $5000 which the NFF actually approves.
Amadu added that the decision was taken by the executive committee of the NFF after serious deliberations and financial considerations.
“We have taken into account the peculiar situation [financial problems] of how things are with the federation,” Amadu said. “The $5,000 for a win and $2,500 for a draw is what we have settled for, agreed with the team and can actually afford.
“We inherited the $10,000 amount and, with good intention, decided to continue paying the players that sum in order to motivate them. With the financial challenge, we opted for a cost-cutting measure to accommodate our demands and we got everyone on board.
“It’s significant to know that, at $5,000, the Super Eagles remain among the best-paid national teams in Africa – a fact the players need to understand.”
Although panel set up by the sports minister to investigate the bonus row is yet to submit its report, NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire denied that the latest action of the football authorities could undermine he efforts of the panel.
“We are trying not to undermine the laudable efforts of the panel investigating the bonus row,” Olajire said. “At the moment, there is no change on the bonus agreement. We are confident everyone will respect the NFF’s position on this matter.The way the federation is operating right now is based on the financial situation.”
