Financial Crisis Threatens Super Eagles Nations Cup Quest
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Financial Crisis Threatens Super Eagles Nations Cup Quest
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By Dipo Okubanjo
THERE are strong fears that the continued prevarication of the Ministry of Finance in releasing to the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) funds meant to prosecute Super Eagles participation at the African Cup of Nations may mar Nigeria's chances at the championship which kicked off yesterday in Tunisia.
The Guardian gathered that the Federal Government had since given a directive for the release of the N187 million approved for the NFA, but officials at the Finance Ministry would instead prefer to dole out the money piecemeal to the nation's soccer ruling body.
Investigations revealed that the Secretary General of the NFA, Taiwo Ogunjobi, who had last week left for Tunisia to attend the congress of the African Football Confederation and receive the Eagles who arrived Tunis at the same period, had to dash back to the country Friday evening to continue his lobby for funds from the ministry.
The move by Ogunjobi to secure the release of the approved money, it was learnt, was to guard against a repeat of the ugly development two years ago in Mali, when late arrival of funds precipitated mistrust between players and officials.
It would be recalled that the Captain Sunday Oliseh-led squad to the Mali 2002 Nations Cup threatened not to honour its semi-final clash with Senegal because of an alleged arrears of bonuses being owed the players.
The implication of the Finance Ministry going ahead with its piecemeal approach will be that the NFA might not be able to meet some of its obligations to the Eagles in the course of their campaign at the Nations Cup.
The present posture of the ministry on the Nations Cup funds further compounds the woes of the football association which has not ceased to lament the seeming inadequacy of the N187 million approved for it.
The task force set up by the NFA for the Nations Cup had proposed a budge of N911 milion which was later pruned down to N348 million before it was finally slashed to the approved amount by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
It is all too evident that 90 per cent of the N187 million would be used to settle players' bonuses, amounting to $48,000 million (N7.2 million) per player if the national team went ahead to win all its matches.
The Coach Christian Chukwu-tutored squad is nestled in Group D, along with Morocco, South Africa and Republic of Benin and the Eagles will be having their first feel of action at the tournament on Tuesday when they take on the Atlas Lions of Morocco in Monastir.
Where did the taskforce get the N911 million figure from. Immediately after the tournament, every single member of that task force should be probed.
By Dipo Okubanjo
THERE are strong fears that the continued prevarication of the Ministry of Finance in releasing to the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) funds meant to prosecute Super Eagles participation at the African Cup of Nations may mar Nigeria's chances at the championship which kicked off yesterday in Tunisia.
The Guardian gathered that the Federal Government had since given a directive for the release of the N187 million approved for the NFA, but officials at the Finance Ministry would instead prefer to dole out the money piecemeal to the nation's soccer ruling body.
Investigations revealed that the Secretary General of the NFA, Taiwo Ogunjobi, who had last week left for Tunisia to attend the congress of the African Football Confederation and receive the Eagles who arrived Tunis at the same period, had to dash back to the country Friday evening to continue his lobby for funds from the ministry.
The move by Ogunjobi to secure the release of the approved money, it was learnt, was to guard against a repeat of the ugly development two years ago in Mali, when late arrival of funds precipitated mistrust between players and officials.
It would be recalled that the Captain Sunday Oliseh-led squad to the Mali 2002 Nations Cup threatened not to honour its semi-final clash with Senegal because of an alleged arrears of bonuses being owed the players.
The implication of the Finance Ministry going ahead with its piecemeal approach will be that the NFA might not be able to meet some of its obligations to the Eagles in the course of their campaign at the Nations Cup.
The present posture of the ministry on the Nations Cup funds further compounds the woes of the football association which has not ceased to lament the seeming inadequacy of the N187 million approved for it.
The task force set up by the NFA for the Nations Cup had proposed a budge of N911 milion which was later pruned down to N348 million before it was finally slashed to the approved amount by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
It is all too evident that 90 per cent of the N187 million would be used to settle players' bonuses, amounting to $48,000 million (N7.2 million) per player if the national team went ahead to win all its matches.
The Coach Christian Chukwu-tutored squad is nestled in Group D, along with Morocco, South Africa and Republic of Benin and the Eagles will be having their first feel of action at the tournament on Tuesday when they take on the Atlas Lions of Morocco in Monastir.
Where did the taskforce get the N911 million figure from. Immediately after the tournament, every single member of that task force should be probed.
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