Players Union Raises Eyebrow Over Alleged Diversion of $800,000 Cocacola Sponsorship Fee Paid To NFF

Players Union Raises Eyebrow Over Alleged Diversion of $800,000 Cocacola Sponsorship Fee Paid To NFF

By Niyi Busari

The National Association of Nigeria Footballers (NANF) claim that the Nigeria Football Federation, whose top officials are still being investigated by both EFCC and ICPC, have resorted to concealing receipt of sponsorship monies by lodging some into clandestine accounts with the sole aim of diverting and siphoning the funds.

The NFF is a public institution that ought to run a transparent financial accounting system by disclosing receipt of sponsorship funds, allocation from the federation account, funds realized by hosting rights of super Eagles games by state governments, receipts from FIFA and CAF either as royalties or grants to football stakeholders.

In a statement released on Sunday signed by the president of the Players Union, Harrison Jalla, it was revealed that Coca-Cola, one of the sponsors of the NFF has paid the sum of $800,000 sponsorship fee for 2020.

"The National Association of Nigeria Footballers (NANF) can confirm that the Nigeria Football Federation still under the radar of the EFCC and ICPC have resorted to concealing receipts of its sponsorship funds by lodging some into clandestine accounts and receiving some UNDER THE TABLE with the sole aim of diverting and siphoning the funds." The statement stated

"When the NANF raised the alarm on the Covid-19 palliative after the NFF President Amaju Pinnick brazenly lied to the nation that the $500,000 was not a palliative, Nigerians are all witnesses to how other African countries football federations distributed the FIFA palliatives to clubs and other sectors of football in their countries." It continues

"As we speak today, while other African football federations transparently distributed and published their records, the NFF have not told Nigerians how the Covid-19 palliative was disbursed.

"The latest slogan from the NFF is that they are carrying Sunday Dare, the Minister of sports, along.

"Is “carrying the sports minister along” a licence to defraud the NFF? The statement reads in parts.