Unpaid Super Falcons’ allowance: Reps issue 24-hour notice to NFF President, others to appear

•as members tackle Chairman, Sports Committee on inciting NFF against it

The House of Representatives on Wednesday issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Hon. Ibrahim Musa Gusau to appear before it over the allegations bothering on the non-payment of Super Falcons’ allowances.

Chairman, ad-hoc committee investigating the dispute between the Super Falcons and Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Hon. Blessing Onuh who issued the notice, frowned at the NFF President’s deliberate refusal to honour the invitation of the ad-hoc committee.

The NFF President is expected to brief the ad-hoc committee on the $960,000 approved by FIFA for every country participating in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, as well as the non-payment of allowances and match bonuses due to each player over the past year, among others.

Onuh said: “That the NFF was supposed to appear before the House on the 17th of August last week but unfortunately, the reasons that you gave is not as important as the work of this ad-hoc committee.

“Nigerians are interested, Nigerians are watching. The girls did extremely well and they made Nigerians proud, so we shouldn’t take this investigative hearing lightly.

“We gave an opportunity for the president of NFF to appear before this Ad-hoc Committee I will say invariably he is the one summoning us, he came up with an excuse that is not as important as what we have.

“The allowances and the dues that were supposed to be paid to the female footballers, the Super Falcons and he turned it down, what is more important is it for him to attend the FIFA Women Convention or to appear before this Committee?

“And even as that he has the effrontery to just this morning send his SA that he won’t be able to make it, it simply means he is taking us for granted, he is taking us for a ride and we will not tolerate it we will not,” she noted.

Onuh who allayed the fears of stakeholders, assured that the investigative hearing was not aimed at witch-hunting anyone.

Speaking earlier, the NFF Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi explained that the NFF President could not attend the investigative hearing because of his ill-health.

Worried by the flagrant disregard for the ad-hoc committee’s invitation, Hon. Onuh directed the NFF President to appear on Thursday, 24th August, 2023 by 11 a.m.

Meanwhile, some concerned lawmakers under condition of anonymity at the sideline of the investigative hearing, accused the Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Hon. Abubakar Adams of frustrating the exercise.

They alleged that the NFF President was asked not to appear before the ad-hoc committee for personal reasons unknown to the ad-hoc committee.

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