BEVERLY HILLS, December 15, (THEWILL) – Members of the House of Representatives have condemned the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalong, and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for failing to pay the match bonuses and allowances of the female National Football Team, the Super Falcons.
The ladies won the 10th edition of the African Women championship just concluded in Cameroon but have not been paid their allowances, a development which forced them to resort to street protests in Abuja and the National Assembly.
THEWILL recalls that following the protest by the girls on Wednesday, the Presidency reacted immediately by summoning Dalong and the leadership of the NFF to a meeting and directed them to settle the allowances of the players without further delay.
However, at its sitting on Thursday, the House, discussing a motion, sponsored by a former Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran, condemned Dalong and the NFF, saying that their actions brought shame upon Nigeria.
Describing the girls as patriotic, Omidiran said the Falcons answered the national call with the belief that they would be paid after the championship, but were disappointed.
“For the past two weeks, the space has been filled with the cries of these ladies,” she said.
“Has it become a crime to make your country proud? What makes it more painful is the fact that the Cameroonian girls, who came second, were celebrated by their President (Paul Biya).
“These girls are not asking for anything extraordinary, but the allowances owed them from the qualifiers till they won the trophy.
“What would have happened if the girls had refused to leave Cameroon and carry out the protests on the streets of that country?.”
The House directed that the allowances of the girls should be paid immediately and asked the Committee on Sports to monitor compliance and report back to members within four weeks.
Story by Oputah David
