Why we didn’t pay Siasia, other coaches from N507m we received from FG – NFF

The Nigeria Football Federation has released a statement explaining that the body is yet to receive money from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports with regards to the two-legged 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches between the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs of Egypt, played in Kaduna and Alexandria last month.
The Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, stated this in Abuja on Friday.
Yahaya-Kwande said the sum of N480 million that was reported following a meeting of the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, with Sports Editors on Thursday was actually part of the monies that had been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for Nigeria’s participation in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015, the Super Eagles’ 2018 World Cup qualifying matches against Swaziland, the U-23 National Team’s participation in the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal and the Super Eagles’ participation in the African Nations Championship, Rwanda 2016.
He said: “We did a memo to the Honourable Minister based on our needs and exigencies for the matches we played against Egypt, and we believe this will be approved. The N480 million that was reported is part of the monies approved by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for various competitions and matches that we had prosecuted earlier, and which were appropriated for.
“There was also a report about coaches’ salaries. The truth, which the Honourable Minister himself explained to the media in Abuja a couple of weeks ago, is that the money the NFF gets from Government does not include coaches’ salaries. The NFF pays the coaches from sponsorship money, and this was not designed by the present NFF Board; it is a practice we met on ground.
“We have the money to pay the coaches. The NFF sent the mandates to the banks to pay the coaches about two weeks ago, but the Giwa group wrote to the banks to say they had a court order, which in itself is criminal and untenable. There is NO court order telling Giwa he is president of NFF; it is very important to make that clarification. We have called on the Honourable Minister to call these fellows to order, but we are resolving the matter with the banks so that the coaches can get their salaries.”
Yahaya-Kwande is a ranking member of the House of Representatives.
Yahaya-Kwande, who is also Chairman of the NFF Finance Committee, said the Tenders Board approved that following the 100 per cent compliance with due process, the NFF should pay the sum of N27 million part payment for mobilisation fee to the contractors handling the renovation of the Federation’s new headquarters, the Sunday Dankaro House.
He added: “The money was not for ‘painting’; we have to put that on record. It is part-payment for the extensive renovation works.
“There is a new policy direction in the NFF whereby every money we receive, even from our partners and sponsors, we inform the Honourable Minister and also inform our auditors (PriceWaterHouse Coopers) and our financial consultants (Financial Derivatives). This is in line with our vision to entrench transparency and accountability in the Federation.”