By Martin Odiete, Abuja
The Minister of Finance, Haji Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed has stated that the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation and the sporting family in general are solely responsible to why their funds are always been released late to them.
The Minister who was responding to an issue raised by Senator Obinna Ogba during the Minister appearance before the committee for local content, where the Senator from Ebonyi state wondered why the Finance Ministry do not take the issue of sports serious, reason they deliberately delay the release of their funds, argued that the request for release for funds from the football house always comes very late.
Sen. Ogba had noted that football places a big role in the engagements of the Nigerian Youths and to this end; it should have a prime position in the heart of the Finance Ministry in consideration for the release of funds. He queried that the frequent delay in the release of the funds to the Nigeria Football Federation is not helping in any way in realizing their mandate.
She said, “The fact is, it is not that we do not like releasing funds for sports, the funds are limited, and the second thing is that the request do not come on time. The way it comes is that there is a quick memo, it goes to the president, we get an approval and you are asked to provide an amount that you are not prepared for, so, we struggle on the time that it is required.
“So we will work with our colleague, the Minister of Sports to make sure that they act well in advance for such international so that we have the chance to process and provide the resources to them in such a quick time,” she said.
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