Budget Defence: House Issues Fresh Seven-day Ultimatum to NFF

The House of Representatives declined to pass the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) budget for 2015 after the Sports Committee insisted on full explanation on how the ‘Glass House’ expended revenue received from other sources apart from government last year.

NFF was led by the federation’s Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi and General Secretary, Musa Amadu, at yesterday’s hearing.

Last week, the NFF failed to appear at the appointed seating, prompting the Chairman of the House Sports Committee, Hon Godfrey Gaiya, to threaten that no money may be approved for it for the current year if NFF officials failed to appear before the committee.

But NFF officials left the committee room after they were asked by the lawmakers to account for how the World Cup money, CAF grants and fees received from corporate sponsors last year were expended.

Gaiya, who cited section 80 of the 1999 constitution, which mandated agencies to declare and account for gift and money realised through other sources, gave the NFF a seven- day grace to come with detailed explanation of how the money was spent.

He insisted NFF must account for the appropriation of over $9 millions received as World Cup appearance fee from FIFA.

“I am saying this because I am in tune with sports and I know that NFF gets resources from other sources outside government and I know our football is big brand that has sponsors, like GLO except you tell this committee they have withdrawn from such sponsor.

“I also know that you are affiliated to both CAF and FIFA and that you get certain amount of money as grants. You have to explain to us how you spent all that came to your federation because the documents before us didn’t capture all of that,” stressed the house committee chairman.

Gaiya’s colleagues quizzed the NFF members on other sundry issues including why Super Eagles are yet to have a substantive coach.

Amadu told THISDAY that the federation would respond adequately to the representatives’ demand at the next window, by stating in details how the football body spent FIFA and sponsorship fees.

Akinwunmi told lawmakers that over N1 billion was made via sponsorship last year.

The committee also ordered the National Institute of Sports (NIS) to return to the house after seven days with documents that would explain how they spent over N25 million made from students’ tuition fees and other monies appropriated to the institute last year.

Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, who also led other management staff to appear before the House was cleared and took a bow.