FG to carry out ‘surgery’ on NFF —Dalung •Minister begs Falcons, assures them on their entitlements

FOLLOWING incessant complaints over poor treatment of national football teams by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the Federal Government has indicated that it is poised to wield the big stick against the football ruling body.

Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, announced while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, the government was fed up with NFF and had now decided to “carry out a surgery” on it.

He said government’s intervention despite FIFA’s frowning upon such move was necessary because it was always at the receiving end each time the NFF failed to live up to its responsibility.

He said: “I am talking about the governance of football administration in Nigeria. Government has to do the surgery because they have been at the receiving end of the embarrassment.

“We must be prepared to do this to save the future of football in Nigeria. We must come together to find solutions to see how this issues can be tackled.

“The non-interference [stance of FIFA] has been used to harass and intimidate government. But now that the government is being embarrassed by the activities, I don’t see anybody talking about interference.

“They use it to scandalise the government. So, the man who is at the receiving end has the responsibility to ensure that things must be done right.

“So, we must take steps to ensure that money meant for athletes gets to them on time as when due.”

He said the football house must also learn to plan ahead of time of football engagements to avoid embarrassing situations arising from teams’ welfare.

Dalung also met with players and officials of the Super Falcons who are still  in their Agura Hotel camp in Abuja.

Tribunesport gathered that Dalung, during the meeting with the team members, assured that government was working hard to ensure that they get their entitlements paid to them as soon as possible.

He, however, appealed to the Falcons and their officials to show understanding as he was working hard to get President Buhari’s approval for money to be released so that they would be paid promptly.

A source in the team camp informed Tribunesport that the minister requested the team to accept anything they were offered by the NFF now and return to their various destinations.

“The minister gave us his assurance that our entitlements would be paid. He said he was waiting for President Buhari to approve the release of money to pay us.

“Dalung also told us that the process of getting money released in government was unlike when you deposit money in the bank and use your ATM card to withdraw same,” the source told Tribunesport.

Meanwhile, Dalung was said to have apologised to the Falcons on behalf of the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, for the latter’s ‘insult’ heaped on the players for their refusal to leave the hotel.

The minister pleaded with the players to show maturity with a view to forgiving and forgetting whatever grievances they might have with the country’s football governing body.