The Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barrister Musa Amadu, has tagged the statement made by a former top brass of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Abba Yola, as a big lie on matters bothering on the $10,000 match bonus for the Super Eagles team.
Amadu noted that there was never any policy on the payment of the sum of $10,000 as win-bonus for Super Eagles players.
He stated that: “We are surprised to read the statement by Alhaji Abba Yola. He was involved enough to know exactly what went on in the days of the Presidential Task Force. The task force had a meeting with the NFF and said they had agreed to increase the team’s win-bonus to $10,000, but that the NFF would only need to pay the normal $5,000 while the task force paid the balance of $5,000.
“I have not seen it anywhere that it is written or captured as policy of the Nigeria Football Federation. The present NFF administration came into office to meet the situation of $10,000 and with good intention, decided to continue paying the players that sum in order to motivate them.
“Now that we are challenged and we need to cut our coat according to our cloth, I don’t see why all the hoopla about the slash. When the NFF President and a couple of Members of Executive Committee met with the Management of Super Eagles over the matter, and craved their support over the constraints that we have at the moment, they expressed their understanding and that was why the NFF went ahead to implement.”
Amadu disapproved of the tendency of commentators and even administrators to blame the NFF for the bonus row.
“The NFF has gone to great length to explain the situation that we have found ourselves and we expect those who should have an understanding of this matter to give dispassionate opinion.
“Even at $5,000, the Super Eagles remain among the best-paid national teams in Africa. It is a decision of the NFF Executive Committee, taken after thorough deliberation, and we cannot go back on it no matter the amount of blackmail.”
