Former President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has revealed that news about the body’s mismanagement of funds isn’t good for the country, Soccernet.ng reports.
The NFF is currently being investigated for its handling of funds received from FIFA and CAF, following claims circulating on social media that it misappropriated the funds.
They initially debunked the news with an official statement that declared the money they got was for specific purposes.
However, a Nigerian lawmaker, Adedayo Olumuyiwa, demanded in an open hearing with the House of Representatives a proper audit of the money gotten from CAF and FIFA by the NFF.
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Pinnick sides with NFF amidst fund question marks
The 54-year-old served as the President of the NFF between 2014 and 2022, and in that time, the Super Eagles of Nigeria secured a bronze AFCON medal (2019) and qualified for the 2018 World Cup.
Surprisingly, Mr. Amaju placed Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup on bilateral relationships with Qatar, rather than on the strength of his own team.
Still, in an interview with Arise TV, he chose not to speak about how the alleged $25m received by the NFF over the last ten years were spent. Instead, he mentioned the reports paint Nigeria in a bad light.
“The General Secretary, his deputy, the technical director, and about 15 to 20 other staff in the NFF are being paid by FIFA and not the government. How many people know this?
“A certain amount of money is dedicated to women’s football.
“I’m not holding fault for the federation, but I’m an officer of the federal republic, and it is on us to say the truth when we see fit.
“We should stop maligning institutions in Nigeria. I’m just appealing because it doesn’t make us look good on the international scene.
“It de-markets this country. We just lost our bid to host the Commonwealth Games. I know what somebody told me about it.
“Whenever we want to host any tournament, Nigeria is almost a red flag because we de-market this country by the minute.
“If the government is even doing something good, I think we should complement them, work with them and pray for them.
“We don’t have any other country. Nigeria is the sweetest and the best country on this continent.
“So when I see people say things, it makes me not enthused to be involved in government because the toxicity, the bitterness, hatred, and animosity are too much, when they don’t even know the truth.
“When I travel abroad, we’re double-checked simply because we’re Nigerians. I don’t want to travel anymore.
“We’ll be at the World Cup by God’s grace, but how many people can get an American visa in Nigeria?
Like every other representative who has spoken in defence of the Nigerian Football Federation, there has been no accountability about how the money received has been spent.
It remains to be seen whether official proceedings will follow here on in.