Abiodun Jimoh
The Senate on Wednesday criticized the Federal Government for delaying payments of the bones and allowances of the Super Falcons.
The Senate during a plenary session presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremadu frowned at the plight of the victorious women footballers.
The Super Falcons, who crushed their Cameroonian counterparts on Saturday to win the 2016 African Women Nation’s Cup Trophy, had reportedly seized the trophy following the inability of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to pay their bonuses and allowances.
However, the Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed told the State House correspondents after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting that the non-payment of the team’s allowances was due to “the biting economic situation.”
He said the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Danlung raised the issue during the FEC meeting.
Mohammed, however, assured that the matter was being looked into.
Earlier, the chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba, while moving a motion by raising a point of order, decried the treatment metted out on the victorious Falcons, who were now stranded and couldn’t return home.
He condemned “the unfair treatment” on the girls despite breaking continental record at the competition.
Also, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce criticised the Federal Government and sports administrators in the country.
He said, ”We care about structures, we don’t care about people. It is a disgrace what is happening to our Super Falcons, boxers and other athletes. Governments in Nigeria do not care about human being, they only care about awarding contracts.”
Other senators who frowned at the condition of the footballers at the plenary were Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central); Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio; and Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), who all called for urgent intervention to ease the burden on the players.
