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Thursday, November 12, 2009
FIFA U-17 World Cup: Fraud dims the glory
By Gowon Akpodonor
FROM a bloated budget of N37 billion, the organisers of the ongoing FIFA U-17 football tournament in Nigeria were said to have received N12.1 billion, but the chairmen of committees and sub-seats say they got only N900 million. Between the Ministry and the LOC stands the truth. But on both sides of the disputants are calls for a probe.
THE Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World cup would have come to a glorious close this weekend if not for the plum of corruption charges wafting through the VIP stand.
Unlike the charges of alleged fielding of over-aged players which were effectively ignored by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), the financial recklessness charges by the Sports Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Sani Ndanusa, would have to be tackled locally, maybe after the visitors have departed our shores.
Luckily, the withholding of the release of further funds to the Local Organising Committees and Sub-Seats have not adversely affected the rounding off ceremonies of the youth tournament. That fact, in itself, strengthens the position of government that the N12.1 billion already released for the hosting as at November 6 when the Minister put the lid on further funding, was adequate.
Ndanusa has merely asked questions on how the money previously released was spent. He wanted an account to be rendered. He did not want what had become a tradition of spending without accounting to reign during the current outing.
But the Minister's stand seems to have stirred the proverbial hornets' nest. The chairmen of the committees and sub-seats are pointing accusing fingers at Ndanusa and the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Mainasara Illo, saying that the two have more explanations to give to Nigerians on how the vote said to have been released by the Federal Government so far for the games, was spent.
A source in the LOC in Abuja feared that the disagreement could mar the final stages of the tournament. "And this will not be good for the image of the country", he said, adding that the "attention of the entire world is currently focused on Nigeria."
A letter from the Minister marked: Ref. NSC/HMC/GEN/CON/2009, dated November 5, and addressed to the Chairman of the LOC, stated that no money would be released until the retirement of the previous funds.
The letter captioned: "Re: Financial requirement of the LOC for FIFA U-17 World Cup (Nigeria 2009)" was signed by U. T. Shua on behalf of the Minister. It was in response to a request by the LOC marked: "Ref. No. LOC/FIFA U-17 WC/Vol.1/014, dated November 4, 2009".
The Minister's letter queried with facts and figures, various amounts of money already released before the November 4 request for more funds.
The Minister's firmness to stop the release of more money was rebuffed by a LOC member, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He alledged that Ndanusa and Illo are allegedly holding on to more than 90 per cent of the funds released by the Federal Government for the hosting of the U-17 World Cup. He alleged that of the N12.1 billion released so far by the Federal Government, only about N900 million had actually been released to the Committee Chairmen and Sub-Seats since the championship began on October 24. "Where has the rest of the money gone to then?", the source wondered.
Going by the breakdown of money released thus far, Logistic (LOC Board meeting and general purpose) got N20 million from its updated budget of N75 million. It has a balance of N55 million. Similarly, Marketing Committee got N78.4 million from the N140 million budget, with a balance of N61.6 million. The Ceremonies Committee got N65 million of its N103.9 million budget with a balance of N38.9 million.
- Mobilisation Committee (N30 million), (N40 million) balance (N10 million);
- Volunteer Committee (N40 million), (N102.15 million), (N62.15 million);
- The Transport Committee (N97 million), (N638 million), (N541 million);
- Accreditation Committee (N40 million), (N75 million), (N35 million);
- Security Committee (N80 million), (N300 million), (N220 million);
- The Media Broadcast Committee (N40 million), (N98 million), (N58 million);
- Media Print Committee (N30 million), (N58 million), (N28 million);
- The Medical Committee (N15 million), (N24 million), (N9 million);
- Protocol Committee (N18 million), (N60 million), (N42 million);
- Lagos Sub-Seat (N40 million), (N80 million), (N40 million);
- Ijebu-Ode (N21 million), (N45 million), (N24 million);
- Enugu (N40 million), (N60 million), (N20 million);
- Calabar (N44 million), (N60 million), (N16 million);
- Bauchi Sub-Seat (N16 million), (N45 million), (N29 million);
- Kaduna Sub-Seat (N44 million), (N60 million), (N16 million);
- Kano Sub-Seat (N40 million), (N60 million), (N20 million); and
- Abuja Sub-Seat (N40 million), (N60 million), (N20 million).
A budget of N5 million was to have been given to Warri Sub-Seat, but has not been paid. The Warri Stadium was rejected by FIFA from participation in the championship, citing at that time security challenges in the Niger Delta region.
Before the start of the Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, many Nigerians had expressed worries that the outcome of the organisation of the championship would be as COJA 2003 All Africa Games, where it was "all investments without gains."
Other big championships hosted by Nigeria like the Nigeria 99 World Youth Championship and the co-hosting of the Ghana/Nigeria 2000 Africa Cup of Nations were also without rewards for the country.
Meanwhile, Sports Commissioner in Ogun State and member of Ijebu-Ode Sub-Seat, Bukola Olopade thinks it would not be out of place to put in place measures to bring to book indicted persons.
Olopade, who spoke with journalists shortly before the quarterfinal match between Switzerland and Italy at the Ijebu-Ode Stadium, said that he was shocked with the level of corruption in the organisation of the championship.
He said: "A lot of people have complained that in Nigeria, we don't make profits after hosting big championships. But we must put it on record that the Presidency has done its part very well and that few people are out to do things the way they like. They have failed us and our dream is to see such people sent to jail if indicted after the tournament."
Similarly, the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) has said that the LOC must account for every kobo spent on U-17 World Cup. According to the body's President, Harrison Jala, the alleged financial recklessness "...is worse than COJA 2003 Games."
He observed that the inability of anti-corruption agencies to bring top officials of the LOC to book over its huge budget of N37 billion for the games is responsible for the "current looting."
He said NANF had before now queried the budget of the LOC of N37 billion, and even called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related financial crimes Commission (ICPC) to investigate the LOC spending from the public purse.
"Nobody listened to us even when the Federal Government confirmed that it does not require more than N9 billion to host the games.
"Now, see what the LOC is doing with our money."
That the championship is continuing, he said, is to the credit of the true hospitality of Nigerians and the passion they have for the game of football and not the making of the LOC.
According to Jala, the LOC members were not transparent and accountable. "They are the same set of people that failed Nigerians in 2003 COJA games". He added that despite their dismal outing during that tournament, the government still "paid them huge amounts of money. No, Nigerians must not allow them to go scot-free this time around.
"In other countries, the government counts gains after hosting major competitions. Look at South Africa already counting profits ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I also blame the Federal Government for keeping faith with these same set of people after that initial over-bloated budget of N37 billion for a mere youth championship. But like I said, the LOC and officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC) should be made to account for every kobo released by the Federal Government."
Interestingly, the Committee chairmen and Sub-Seats have also said that the chairman and his deputy have questions to answer over the N12.1 billion said to have been released by government for the games.
"If the Minister is insisting that we must retire money given to us, he and Mainasara Illo should also render account on how they spent the N12.1 billion released to them by the Federal Government. We got just N900 million, which is less than 10 per cent of the money released. What has happened to over N11 billion?" asked a committee chairman.
A source however revealed that from the initial N9 billion released by the government to the LOC, two top shots in the LOC allegedly held on to N7 billion for undisclosed reasons, leaving N2 billion for running of expenses by the organisers.
From the N2 billion, the various committee chairmen were allegedly paid a percentage for their jobs, which amounted to N900 million, said a protesting chairman. The balance of about N1.1 billion was said to have been expended by the LOC on transportation and flight during the tour of facilities round the host cities.
Another source hinted yesterday that the Presidency is already aware and that the Sports Minister and Illo may be summoned to give further explanations.
When contacted on some of the issues raised, the Spokesman of the LOC, Emeka Odikpo said: "I am not in the accounts department. I will text the number of the General Manager (Finance) to you so that you can put such questions across to him".
He never did up till last night.
The chairman of the Marketing Committee, Mike Itamuagbo and the head of the Ceremonies Committee, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, declined to comment on the issues.
Efforts to speak with the Sports Minister and the CEO also yield no fruits.
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