A former Group Sports Editor of Thisday, Mr Olajide Fashiku, has given the nation’s sports minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo a 72-hour ultimatum to raise an independent panel to probe the disbursement of billions of naira accrued to the Aminu Maigari-led Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, in the last two years.
Fashiku who was speaking in a media parley in Abuja yesterday, bemoaned the rot in the sporting sector and said the trend has to stop in the overall interest of the sector.
“The sports industry has been a place for everyone to come and make their billions and walk home with their loot while athletes and their siblings keep wangling and swimming in poverty…That is why the Maigari administration must be brought to book to account for all the monies they had worked with in the last two years,’’ said Fashiku who publishes an online newspaper, Gongnews.com.
Fashikun, in a recent petition addressed to the Sports Minister, also demanded for investigation into alleged fraudulent deal signed with the League Management Company (LMC) advertising agency.
He said the probe was necessary “as part of the desired changes which Nigeria’s sports deserves following the years of maladministration and loss of focus by those saddled with the responsibility of developing sports”.
The fiery sports critic is demanding thorough probe into the $2 disbursement of million paid by the Federal Government and $8 million paid by FIFA for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as some players are still claiming that they have not received their share of the participation having played in the qualifiers without playing in the finals; the $1 million reserved by the Sani Abdullahi led board for the furnishing of the Sunday Dankaro House and secretariat of the NFF in Package B at the National Stadium, Abuja; the N790 million for the 2013 African Cup of Nations; the N170 million received for the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil and the money paid by FIFA for same.
The petitioner further wants the Federal Government to probe the $1.5 million grant given by FIFA to prepare the team, the Super Eagles for the 2014 World Cup; proceeds from the sponsorship deals with Globacom, Guinness, TomTom, Peak Milk and Adidas; N1.288 billion being the sum of the monthly subvention received from government from January 2013 to June 2014; N850 million received from government for the preparation and participation of the Super Eagles in the first round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the $8 million and $6 million expected revenue from FIFA for playing in the first round and qualifying for the round of 16 respectively.
He noted that if “Nigeria football must be saved and helped to progress without committing the same error in the future, and as a measure to prevent this from repeating itself, given as deterrence, you must act in good faith”.
Mr. Fashikun, in the petition dated July 4, 2014, said since Football, is one of the 26 sectors under the purview of the minister and the for the fact that Nigeria are too emotional and passionate about football it was urgent that a probe be initiated to address the anomalies in the system.