Indications have emerged that the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) may face ban from the world football governing body FIFA if it fails to heed to the recent warning calling for the refund of grants running into millions of dollars over the years.
Since the release of the details on Africanfootball.com, analysts are beginning to understand why several football programmes of the country had failed to yield any good result as majority of the FIFA grants finds their way to private pockets, leaving the development of grass root football and other allied sprits development to suffer.
It would be recalled that Nigeria will not be at the next month’s CAF nations’ cup fiesta at Gabon due to inability to qualify owning to initial lack of fund which frustrated the invitation of quality players for qualifiers.
Business Hilights gathered that the bubble got burst when a barrage of queries from FIFA over the $801,229 development grant they paid the NFF was answered in a way and manner that suggests cloudy affairs in the disbursement.
The audit by PricewaterhouseCoppers said the money was spent without supporting documentation, like receipts, invoices and contracts.
Accordingly, FIFA have therefore warned that if the NFF could not provide adequate supporting documentation for the disbursements, it should make refund on sums unaccounted for.
FIFA also expressed displeasure with the unrestrained practice of cash payments, which they maintained should have been greatly minimised.
Whereas as many as 19 issues were raised by the auditors, Minister of Sports and youths Development, Barr. Solomon Dalong has reacted calling for an independent and full-scale audit of the books of the NFF.
