Ex-NFF Boss Sani Lulu demands full 2010 World Cup financial records

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Former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Lulu, has reacted over a recent newspaper publication that the defunct Presidential Task Force on the 2010 FIFA World Cup expended almost N650 million on the Super Eagles for the first World cup to be held on the African soil.

Lulu, in release in Abuja on Wednesday, has demanded that the leadership of the PTF which was headed by the former Rivers State governor Rotimi Ameachi to make available records of how the funds were disbursed and who the recipients were.

Quoting his words, the football administrator said: “That the PTF should make public the details of the funds raised in national newspapers for accountability; that they should confirm the recipient of the PTF’s remittances of $5,000 winning bonuses to Super Eagle players and who requested for PTF sponsorship for the construction of the NFF secretariat and where is the $1.65 million, my NFF-led led Board left in the FIFA account.”

Continuing, the former FCT Director of Sports said: “An updated total requirement was made to the PTF from NFF for a total sum of N2,218,180,780, which included the total provision of N1,504,113,015 as contained in the approved 2010 budget, that is an additional sum N714,067,765, for the winning bonuses for both 2010 African Nations Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals.

“From the approved provision in the 2010 budget the sums of about N500 million and N900 million for CAN and FIFA 2010 competition respectively were remitted to the NFF by the government. However I wish to state authoritatively as one of the signatories to NFF accounts that no additional fund was remitted to NFF under my leadership for our participation in these tournaments as per the above estimate. Nigerians are aware from my numerous statements in my open letter to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, through paid advertorials and press statements on this issue. Mr. Adeniyi and PTF should therefore be urgently requested to give the details of their disbursement.

“However, I have almost been vindicated with Mr. Adeniyi admitting in his write up that the PTF which I was a member realized over N1 billion, and that a saving of N350 million from the World Cup realized fund was utilized in constructing the New NFF secretariat.

“This implies that over N650 million was expended on NFF projects related to 2010 Nations Cup and the World Cup held in the same year. I again insist that no payment was made for the budgeted purpose as contained in my request to PTF vide letter dated 25/11/2009 requesting for the total revised sum of N2,218,180,780, for the two tournaments. The details will be disclosed in due course.

“I also wish to state here, that at the time of my forceful and illegal removal from office, the total sum of $1.65 million was saved in FIFA account and this was to be utilized for the construction of a new NFF secretariat which was already approved and awaiting final commencement and at no time did I make any request to PTF, to fund this project, when outstanding on players wining bonuses were yet to be redeemed.”