By Dipo Olowookere
Federal Government has released the sum of N471.8 million for the payment of outstanding allowances to the Super Eagles and their female counterpart, the Super Falcons.
It would be recalled that the Falcons, after winning the 10th Women’s Africa Nations Cup held in Cameroon few weeks ago, held a protest in Abuja asking the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pay them their allowances.
But the football governing body in Nigeria claimed it had no money to pay the girl and the Sports Minister, Mr Solomon Dalung even said the government had no money to pay them because it was not expecting them to win the tournament for the eighth time.
During their protest to the State House on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that their money should be paid within 24 hours.
A statement issued on Friday by the Director of Information in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Kenechukwu Offie, confirmed that N471.8 million has been released to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to offset the debt covering outstanding winning bonuses for Super Eagles in the 2018 World Cup Qualifying matches and for the Super Falcons’ participation in the 10th Women’s Africa Nations Cup.
Mrs Offie noted that the money was released following approval from the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.
“The mandate which is a sum of Three hundred and Fifty-Eight Million, fifteen thousand, One Hundred naira only has been paid by Central bank of Nigeria as at yesterday 15th December, 2016.
“Similarly, another mandate for the sum of One hundred and Thirteen million, Eight Hundred and Twenty thousand, Six Hundred and Two naira only has also been released by Office of Accountant General of the Federation for the payment of wining bonus for Super Eagles in the 2018 World Cup Qualifying matches; and for the Super Falcon’s participation in the 10th Women’s Africa Nation’s Cup.
“This amount has also been paid to Nigeria Football Federation and is equally sequel to the approval of the Honourable minister of Finance,” the statement said.