MEMBERS of the senior national women’s team, the Super Falcons, have begged Nigerians to prevail on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pay their outstanding entitlements so that they will be able to celebrate Christmas with happiness.
This is even as the country’s football ruling body disclosed that the players’ entitlements issue is being handled at higher level.
The players’ plea came on the heels of the peaceful protest the African champions embarked upon in Abuja on Wednesday to Aso Rock to press home their grievance over delay in paying the backlog of bonuses and allowances for the 10th African Women’s Cup of Nation (AWCON), which they won in Cameroon.
The Falcons have refused to vacate the Agura Hotel in Abuja where they are lodged on arrival from Cameroon, insisting that they will not vacate the hotel unless they are paid all their entitlements by the NFF.
The players, who were led by a journalist and activist, Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, carrying various placards, with some inscriptions like “Female football deserves respect”; “We are your children, pity us”; “Let us respect women”, among others, marched from the Agura Hotel camp to the Presidential Villa, which they were not allowed to enter.
The Falcons were, however, addressed by the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, who assured them that they would be paid their entitlements within 48hours.
Kyari had asked the players to write out the breakdown of their entitlements in a sheet of paper which he took away with him.
Kyari pleaded with the players to return to their hotel and wait for further action. The players thereafter dispatched peacefully and headed back to their hotel.
Meanwhile, team captain, Rita Chikwelu, has appealed to Nigerians to pay their money, saying that they want to celebrate Christmas with their families.
“I am begging the entire Nigeria, please help me and my colleagues; help pay our bonuses before Christmas. We want to celebrate Christmas with our families and be happy,” Chikwelu told journalists.
According to her, their protest went well, saying that based on Kyari’s promise, they were waiting to hear from the government.
“The protest went very well and we met with the Chief of Staff; he promised to get back to us this evening [Wednesday] or tomorrow [today]. So we are waiting for his call.”
She stated further that things were very difficult for the players, noting that it was very sad to come back from a competition empty-handed only to be told to go back home
“It is very difficult. It is very sad that you go for a competition and come back with nothing. They are telling you, go home. Some of us need to go back to their clubs but they can’t go because of this,” she stated.
According to her, each of the Falcons players was being owed $23,500 (about N11.280million), saying that their families need money, particularly this Christmas period.
She declared that their families were not pressurising them to back down on their current showdown with the NFF, saying that, “the only thing is that our families need money. We too, we need money and this is Christmas period, so we need to go home and celebrate with our families.”
Asked where the AWCON trophy was being kept, Chikwelu said, “AWCON trophy is in the camp. Not in my room. It is in the camp, that is all.”
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