Copyright thenationonlineng
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has refuted claims circulating on social media suggesting it misappropriated funds received from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Soccernet.ng reports. This has arisen following the poor performance of Nigerian football on the continent and on the global stage. In an official statement by the NFF, they clarified that the funds received from the two bodies [FIFA and CAF] are tied to specific development projects and are subject to regular auditing and financial oversight. “The Nigeria Football Federation finds it expedient to reiterate that the monies it receives from the world football-governing body, FIFA and the continental governing body, CAF, like other Federations, are usually tied to specific purposes and not gifts to the Federations,” the NFF wrote. The NFF said on Friday that this fresh clarification has become necessary in view of misinformation by some fellows on social media that the Federation ‘collects’ millions of dollars from FIFA on an annual basis, as if such monies were gifts to the Federation. Read Also: Jalla kicks over undue FIFA ‘s intervention in NFF’s electoral process “The country’s football-governing body explained that every monies received from FIFA or CAF is tied to a specific purpose, and both FIFA and CAF send their auditors to audit the accounts in which the money is received at the end of every year. “The NFF also explained that monies meant for development purposes are usually tied to specific projects and programmes, while the FIFA Forward monies are also properly specified and under strict adherence to financial regulations, compliance, monitoring and auditing at every stage of the project or program. “FIFA Forward projects, such as the ongoing NFF/FIFA Players’ Hostel and new training pitches inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, are subjected to strict controls, monitored and verified at every stage of the work. “Every stage is verified, assessed and sanctioned before further monies are released to the FIFA-approved consultants, to whom the monies are paid directly.”
