Stop Telling Lies, NFF Scribe Replies Controversial Jalla

Akinkunle Bolarinwa 

The Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Doctor Sanusi Muhammad has issued a serious warning to Mr Harrison Jalla who acts as the Task Force President of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria to stop misleading the public. 

Dr. Sanusi through a leading WhatsApp group (NSM Reloaded) revealed the facts behind the FIFA 3.0 money and how Mr. Jalla distorted the truth.

"It wasn't in my character to respond to issues like this but I know where this is coming from.

I am equally surprised that Harison Jallah will post something that is not correct, thereby misleading people."

"For the purpose of record, FIFA Forward money is not released to Federations to spend. 

The money is tied to projects and activities, which have to be approved, monitored by FIFA."

Dr. Sanusi added that Nigeria Football Federation had a total of $4M for the last cycle Jallo was talking about and  NOT $10M.

The money is not given to the Federation but kept with FIFA to be released as the need arises. 

Only $2.3M of the $4M is being utilized for Kebbi and Ugborodu.

"It is important to note that the money ($4m) is kept with FIFA, to be released only as the need arise, passing through different FIFA due diligent stages: FIFA Regional Office, FIFA Compliance and Member Associations before going to FIFA Finance for payment to the beneficiary / contractor, through the Federation.

"For example, when FIFA approved the Kebbi and Delta Projects, they released 1st payments to the 2 contractors through NFF.  

Federations are only mandated to release to the contractor what was released by FIFA."

"Before the next payment, FIFA requested an on the spot assessment from the engineer for the project, who is also being paid by FIFA from the same FIFA Forward funds. FIFA would also send its representative for an on the stop assessment, usually comprising of the FIFA Regional Officers, FIFA Consultant from another country, Local FIFA Consultant and the representatives of the Federation."

Where FIFA is not satisfied with the level of work, they take action. 

In the signed contract between FIFA, Contractor, and the Federation, FIFA is empowered to take legal action against breach by the Contractor. 

FIFA does not release the next trenches of payment until they are satisfied with the level of work. That explains the reason why the contractor handling Kebbi has received more money than the contractor handling ugborodu.

Ugborodu had unenvisaged problems: communitee, etc. 

Just 4 days ago, we raised the issue of Ugborodu with FIFA, including the difficulty of assessing the land, the nature of the land, the inflation due to the present economic realities the world is facing. 

FIFA 2.0 came to an end last year, but the utilization of the remaining funds by Member Nations hasn't stopped.

"I knew where this was coming from. My appeal to Mr Jallah and all is that they should please confirm information before going out to the public. This pull-down syndrome is not good at all. 

It is very easy to get accurate information on utilization of FIFA Forward.

For proper auditing by FIFA, the funds have separate accounts, and funds are allowed to be lodged there."