How NFF Shared $1.5m FIFA Covid-19 Funds

How NFF Shared $1.5m FIFA Covid-19 Funds By Niyi Busari The Nigeria Football Federation has received the sum of One million and five hundred US Dollars ($1.5m) given by the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA, BSNSports.com.ng can confirm. This is contrary to what the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick said on 23rd September, 2020 in a video interview session with Shina Okeleji (BBC), that FIFA has not paid the $1.5m Covid-19 funds. BSN Sports investigation revealed that the money has been paid since May, 2020. This is confirmed through a memo written by the Secretary General of the NFF, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed to the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, confirming the receipt of the money and asked for permission to spend the FIFA fund. [caption id="attachment_35219" align="alignnone" width="230"] Memo signed by the NFF Secretary General, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed for permission to spend the FIFA Funds[/caption] Also, FIFA on its website confirmed that the money was paid in May 2020 to all member associations. "FIFA will release all operational funding due to member associations for the year 2019 and 2020 in the coming days as the first step of a brief plan to assist football community impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic." FIFA wrote on its website in April 2020. In the written memo by Sanusi to Pinnick, made available to BSN Sports, the expenses was categorised into four A to D. The first category titled; Operational Cost : 2nd Installment consists of Men's League given the sum of Fifty thousand US Dollars ($50,000), Women's League also received Fifty thousand US Dollars ($50,000). According to the Secretary General who sign the document, the sum of $50,000 was spent on Referee's Training and the Youth National Teams got $300,000 during the lockdown. Another $500,000 was spent on management and staff salaries from January to May 2020, Renovation and Furnishing of Bauchi Technical Center, as well as settlement of part of Board and staff travel Claims and Computerization of Account Department. Also, the sum of $500,000 was spent on National Teams, seven months management and staff salaries till December, Office Operations, Meetings as well as Travel and Claims. The sum total is One million four hundred and fifty thousand US Dollars( $1.45m) The memo titled; Request For Permission To Utilize The FIFA Grants To NFF, reads in part; "This is to request for permission to utilize the money we received from FIFA to service/pay for the following: Operational Cost: 2nd Installment ($450,000) Men's League (the money to be given to Men's League). $50,0000 Women's League $50,000 Referee's Training $50,000 National Teams (including both Boys and Girls Teams). $300,000 Total. $450,000 B) 2020 Operational Cost: 1st Installment Mgt and staff salaries from January to May, 2020 $171,431,673 Renovation of Bauchi Technical Center $28,888.89 Furnishing of Bauchi Technical Center $150,153.19 Settlement of part of Board & staff travel Claims g Computerization of the Account Dept. $149, 523.25 Total: $500,000 C) 2020 Operational Cost: 2nd Installment National Teams. $240,000 7 months Mgt/staff salaries June - Dec. $200,000 Office Operations. $20,000 Meetings. $20,000 Travels and Claims. $20,000 D) Solidarity fund for equipment for Women and Youth Teams. $150,000 We request for your approval to use the money as provided by FIFA to purchase needed equipment/kits. E) When the $500,000 2020 Operational Cost held by FIFA is released, the same payment procedure as in A above will apply and balance of $50,000 will now added to National Teams." Recall that the NFF on August 11th, rolled out how the FIFA Covid-19 intervention funds will be shared, which is totally different from the above sharing spending formula. https://twitter.com/thenff/status/1293093054388346881?s=19 BSN Sports efforts to hear from the Secretary General of the NFF, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed, and NFF President, Amaju Pinnick were frustrated as both federation bigwigs failed to respond when contacted.