Govt to probe FIFA U-17 fiesta finances
From Madu Onuorah, Abuja
VICE President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that the Federal Government would probe the finances of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the FIFA Under-17 tournament to ensure that all funds spent during the hosting of the football event are in accordance with the extant rules and regulations guiding such expenditure.
He will meet this week with all the relevant agencies involved in organising the tournament, and "if anybody mismanages government funds, definitely the law will catch up with him or her," he warned.
Jonathan also asked Nigerians not to be too sad at the loss of the Golden Eaglets, saying that the nation's qualification for the senior Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) World Cup scheduled to hold next year in South Africa should help ameliorate the pains of the junior team's defeat.
He said that though the Swiss team which won the gold were technically "a little better, but in terms of skills, we even played a little better. But somehow, we were unfortunate. That is why some of us were sad."
Jonathan, who spoke after opening the ninth edition of the Honorary International Investment Council (HIIC) at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: "From the history of this country, there is nothing you do that you would not have controversy. We have had CHOGM. We have had All Africa Games. And at the end of any major event, there is always accusations and counter-accusations with the management of funds. I have discussed with Mr. President and we have agreed that we will make everything transparent and let every Nigerian know. The present administration believes in transparency and the rule of law.
"What we have decided is that at the end of the tournament, all the expenditures will be audited and people will know. You heard when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was talking about the bank MDs (managing directors). If there were mismanagement of funds, fine. They will account for it. If anybody mismanages government funds, definitely the law will catch up with him or her. We are going to do that. And luckily, we concluded with the tournament yesterday. And within this week, I am going to meet with the relevant agencies. They will make sure that how they spent the money is made known because professional auditors will look at it.
"And if there are things they have bought (vehicles, computers etc), definitely, we will know the number and we will sell to Nigerians at reduced rates. There were stories of people sharing vehicles. Nobody can take any vehicle because the vehicles are bought for the tournament. And at the end of the tournament, these vehicles will be sold at reduced prices. Nobody can take any vehicle.
"There are also reports that some people have not been paid. I believe they have not even exhausted the funds given to them. We will look into that and if we are satisfied, there is no way we will allow an individual who invested money to lose. But I can assure you that we will look into their expenditure pattern. If anybody mismanages funds, the relevant authorities will look into that."
He added: "At the beginning of the tournament, especially those of us who knew about it, were involved. The circumstances of the Eaglets were known. We packaged that team less than three months before the tournament because of the use of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) that disqualified most of the players that would have been used. These young boys were packaged and they stayed together for less than two months. These other teams that we met with have been together for upward of eight months. They have played matches within their countries and they have even exposed them to international matches before coming to Nigeria. Our own, we couldn't expose them to that level.
"So, at the beginning of that tournament, some of us were even praying and even looking at the history of the tournament, this U-17 tournament. No country hosts it and goes that far. Most of the countries that hosted it are normally flogged out. Because of our circumstances, we were praying that look, we are hosting, let them not disgrace us out at lower level. Let us climb to some reasonable level. Even me, I never expected us to reach the final level; truly speaking. Ordinarily, if it were a race like 100 metres where you line up all these countries and say, run, and Nigeria got the second, we would all have been jubilating. The rule in football tournament is that we do elimination gradually. Immediately you play at the semi-final and qualify, the second position is assumed. What you are going for is the gold. If you don't get it, it looks like all is lost.
"Definitely, we are all happy at the level these boys took us. We have to use this opportunity to thank Nigerians both the youths and the adults for the massive support they gave to the Eaglets. Really, we have nothing to lose. Initially, when we played with Germany, it was not interesting to the extent that they even booed our players. Even when they were singing our national anthem, they even booed. But along the line, the boys picked up and everybody gave them support. Really, we have nothing to lose. Especially, this tournament came on Sunday, the previous day, Saturday, we qualified to go to South Africa. And so, it is not lost.
"For us and indeed all Nigerians, for the World Cup to be hosted by an African country for the first time without Nigeria would have been like a basket of sour grapes. So, we are quite happy that the Super Eagles will go there with the Nigerian flag, at least the national anthem and the Nigerian flag will be hoisted in South Africa and that alone is something. Definitely, government is going to work with the National Sports Commission (NPC) and Nigerian Footbal Association (NFA) to make sure that the team we are going with will have to be well prepared. I want to use this opportunity to thank Governor Rotimi Amaechi's presidential team that helped to package the Super Eagles. Without them, the Super Eagles would not have gone to the level they reached. We will make sure we work hard so that our performance in South Africa will be like the ones of the Golden Eaglets."
However, The Guardian recently reported that the fear of embezzlement and high level of fraudulent activities earlier expressed by many Nigerians before the kick-off of the U-17 World Cup was rife, following allegations of sharp practices rocking the organisation of the championship.
And not ready to pay for the 'sins' of alleged financial recklessness by chairmen of the various committees and Sub-seats, the Sports Minister, Sani Ndanusa, ordered that henceforth, no money should be released until retirement of the previous ones are effected, The Guardian learnt.
But this stand by the minister seemed not to have gone down well with the chairmen of the various committees and Sub-seats. They accused the minister (Ndanusa) as well as the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the LOC, Mainasara Illo, saying that the duo have more explanations to give to Nigerians on how the sum of N12.1 billion said to have been released by the Federal Government so far for the tournament was spent.
A top official of the LOC in Abuja told The Guardian that the disagreement, if not nipped in the bud as quickly as possible, may escalate into a full scale war between the Minister and some angry committee chairmen and sub-seats. "And this will not be good enough for the image of the country, especially now that FIFA officials are still around and attention of the entire world is focused on Nigeria," the source stated.
