The $9 million accruing to the Super Eagles for reaching the last 16 at the Brazil 2014 World Cup is now ready for collection, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Secretary General, Musa Amadu, has revealed.
The money, which is paid to every participant at the Copa Du Mundo according to the team’s position at the end of the competition, has been the subject of controversy among Nigerians, with some claiming that the NFF had since collected the money.
According to a report by sl10.ng, Amadu has also said the NFF will ‘return’ the sum of $3.6 million from the $9 million to the Federal Government, being the amount given the NFF for preparations for the World Cup.
“Government gave $3.6 million to the team and we have a letter from the National Sports Commission (NSC) that says we are obliged to return that money and we will return that money,” Amadu said.
The NFF General Secretary has however posited that the money is ‘safe’ in FIFA coffers and advised that it is ‘not wise’ to access the money at the moment, given the level of crises that pervades Nigerian football.
“We have this money with FIFA and it is safe there, there’s nothing wrong with the money, the money is safe there. But because of all these problems and things happening, it is not even wise to access it now,” he added.
“I even remember last week, the board met and decided that at the highest level they will consult and tell people in government that this money is already in our account. So that when the time is right, we will write and if there’s an account directly to the NSC we will write and send it there,” he added.
