The Minister of Sports, Tammy Danagogo, has directed the immediate payment of competition allowances of Team Nigeria athletes at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow Scotland.
Danagogo gave the directive following the reactions of some of the athletes over the non-payment of their competition allowance in Glasgow by officials of the National Sports Commission.
The athletes had also complained of non-availability of kits, noting their success so far in the Games was through personal efforts.
The minister, however, said in an interview that the athletes would henceforth receive their allowance as at when due.
He said that his early presence in Glasgow was to ensure that things do not go contrary to plan and expectation.
Danagogo said: “Everything has been sorted out.
“That is why we are personally on ground now to make sure we look at this complaints.
“Their allowances are there.
“It’s just that those in charge of their payment decided to do it their own way but I have told them to change it.
“If the athletes expect their allowance immediately, then it should be given to them immediately because the money is there for them.
“It’s not like we don’t have it, but they (NSC officials) were saying they don’t want to give them money to distract them.
“They wanted them to have the money at the end of the competition.
“But if the athletes are saying ‘no’ they want it now, for me it should be given to them provided it does not distract them.”
Danagogo said that efforts would be made to ensure that athletes do not go for shopping after the payment, especially when the competitions were still on to avoid them being distracted.
Danagogo said that his mission in Glasgow was to do everything possible to win medals for the country and to ensure that the athletes were happy.
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