By Daily Sports on July 10, 2016

Former Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ahmed Shauibu Gara Gombe, has alleged that after the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, world football governing body, FIFA paid to the NFF $3.5 million for the country’s participation in the last global football summit and he has been persistently asking, where that Money is now?

He further asked what the former NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Magari and his successor; Amaju Pinnick did with that money, as he puts it, Nigerians are eager and would like to know its whereabouts?

According him, the Federal Government paid N2.6 billion to the NFF for World Cup preparations and participation when the Football House raised alarm it had no money again to continue the build-up. He further claimed that people on the saddle are now deceiving the over 170 million Nigerians where over half of the population are fans of the round leather sports that they got a mere $1.5 million sponsorship. Asking rhetorically, where’s that huge money?

“The $2.6 million former President Goodluck Jonathan borrowed to the NFF during the last World Cup is yet to be paid back. I am fully aware that Danagogo Jack former Sports Minister came back to Nigeria from Brazil and informed the former President that the players were threatening not to play the next match until their allowances were paid. The former President handed the cash over to the former Sports Minister with a firm commitment the apex football ruling body will return it upon FIFA payment,” he recalls.

The former Gombe State Football Association boss, further alleged that at the time Magari has squandered the money meant the boys in the Brazil, hoping and waiting for the arrival of FIFA money, which did not come handy, Magari he insists connived with some others in FIFA withheld the money until after the elections in Warri, then FIFA released the money to the Amaju Pinnick led executive committee board, he claims.

“As soon as the money was paid, Amaju sent a text message to Musa Ahmadu, the immediate past Secretary General of the Federation to pay the N2.6 billion into an account, but Ahmadu bluntly refused insisting that he needed a written instruction not directive by text message which showed that he was not willing to pay the money into a private account,” he said.

Gara Gombe suspected that it was there and then the NFF supremo said he cannot work with Musa Ahmadu, hence that sudden resignation of the former Secretary General. Now where is the money, who then collected it? Nigerians he laments want to know therefore Amaju and his executive committee should tell us, where’s the money. As we have the right to know, he remarks.

•Photo shows Gara Gombe.

Source Daily Sports

Posted July 10, 2016

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