Sports

NFF: How we spent FIFA’s $801,000 development grant

Published

9 years ago

December 24, 2016

This brings us to the issue of $801,929, which was the figure FIFA found in transactions in which NFF paid cash to Team Secretaries of some National Teams or Accounts Staff for disbursement to players and officials as bonuses and/or for service suppliers.

Players and officials and/or service suppliers signed the forms T-10 (which is acceptable as a receipt by Nigeria Government) that they received payments. FIFA has now demanded they require additional documentation to further confirm that the third party beneficiaries have received the funds.

The NFF has forwarded the required additional documentation to FIFA and FIFA has acknowledged receipt.

The matches in consideration here are the international friendly between Super Eagles and Congo (played in Belgium in October 2015); international friendly between Super Eagles and Cameroon (played in Belgium in October 2015); the African Nations Championship qualifier between the Super Eagles and Burkina Faso (October 2015); the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Swaziland (November 2015); processing of the Golden Eaglets’ visas to Chile in Ghana et cetera.

The NFF duly reported this matter to the Honourable Minister even though the matter is still under confidentiality between FIFA and NFF, until all answers are provided for questions asked. NFF transmitted a letter to the Honourable Minister on 10th November 2016 conveying the letter from FIFA and NFF’s response.

FIFA made it clear in their own document that it is not a forensic examination and does not affect FIFA decision to grant development funds to Member Associations. It is only a Central Review Process for 2015 to see how to improve the process of management and application of FIFA development funds. Nigeria was chosen as one of the MAs for the pilot.

FIFA made it clear it was a confidential document meant for the only certain number of people who were listed, and warned that the report should not be quoted or used for any other purpose, or by third parties.

The report analyzed the key issues in three sections: Findings, Risks Associated with the findings and; Recommendations to NFF. The implies it is clearly a report to make things better done under confidentiality, but the NFF wanted to be transparent and gave a copy to the Honourable Minister, as well as NFF’s response.

Who are the persons in charge of the NFF Finance Department? They are Director of Finance and Head of Internal Audit.

These are Federal Government Staff from the Office of the Accountant General and Office of the Auditor General respectively. These persons are solely responsible for the management, documentation and reporting of NFF finances as eyes of the Government in NFF, and even they dealt directly with the FIFA-appointed auditor on this matter.

Even the FIFA Letter was to their attention, as well as a few other persons. So, technically, NFF finances and its management are in the hands of trusted Government Staff who are of directorate level.

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