Confusion Rocks NFF As Olajire contradicts Gusau on Peseiro's Salary Payment

Confusion Rocks NFF As Olajire contradicts Gusau on Peseiro's Salary Payment.

By Niyi Busari

Director of Communication, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ademola Olajire has contradicted the statement credited to the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau that three months out of the 10 months salary owed Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro has been paid, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

 Gusau who emerged NFF President in September, 2022 on an online website was quoted to have said that only three months salary out of the 10-month owed Peseiro has recently been paid.

The online website admitted that the Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro was owed 10 months salary adding that he has not received a dime since he assumed office as Eagles manager. The paper also exclusively revealed during their correspondent's interview with Ibrahim Gusau that the sum of $210,000 (Two hundred and ten thousand dollars) being three of the ten months salary owed him by the NFF has been paid.

Less than 48 hours later, 'The Hounour', a member in a Sports WhatsApp group (Sports World) where our correspondent and NFF Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire are members, quoted from the newspaper, "Update: Peseiro Receives 3 out of 10 months owed salaries.."

Reacting, Ademola Olajire, laughed off the online newspaper claims that three out of ten months salary owed has been paid. He questioned the intelligence of the writer as well as the editor of the newspaper asking whether the NFF is still owing Peseiro seven months salary after settling six months out of 10.

He wrote, "This funny story about NFF paying 3 months out of 10 months owed Peseiro. The same persons who are always eager to report about coaches being owed had reported that the same man was paid 3 months sometime in November. So, he still owed 7 months after being paid 6 months out" of 10 months??"

Efforts to reach Olajire when contacted through several phone calls proved abortive as his line can't be reached. However, he responded to our requests seeking clarification on whether the NFF has paid six months or three months out of the 10 months salary.

In view of the confusion, BSN Sports reached out to Mr. Olajire via SMS and WhatsApp contact number, the message reads, "Good morning, sir. I read what you wrote on a WhatsApp group (Sports World) regarding part-payment of Peseiro salary by the NFF. I am confused. Kindly clarify, has the NFF paid 6 months or 3 months out of Peseiro 10 months salary?

Check your WhatsApp for more. Thanks as I await your response."

 Responding to the WhatsApp message, Ademola wrote, "A total of 6 months have been paid. 3 months were paid in October and 3 months last week."

He added, "I know many persons, I believe including you, reported about the 3 months he was paid in October. If he was paid another 3 months last week/early this week, how does the arithmetic still stands at NFF owing 7 months out of 10 months?" He clarified via SMS.

It is however not clear who to believe and who is correct as there are contradictory statements from the president of the NFF and the Director of Communication. Did the newspaper misquote the NFF President or Gusau didn't know that six months salary instead of three was paid? Or the report was written to mislead the public. Or whether Ademola Olajire's claim of six months payment was done in good faith.

Recall that in 2018, in a futile effort to rubbish BSN Sports report titled, "Allowance Scandal Hits Falconets Camp," Ademola Olajire through official statement of the NFF stated that the federation didn't owe the Nigeria U20 women's national team (Falconets) players and officials a dime. He went further by quoting the then coach of the team, Christopher Danjuma.

In 2020, the NFF he claimed not to have owed the coaches paid for the bonuses and allowances owed them into the accounts of the coaches and players.