The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi has set up a panel to probe the recent crisis over match allowance involving the Super Eagles in Namibia.
It will be recalled that the players rejected the allowance approved for them by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after two away games with the national teams of Kenya and Namibia as part of the qualifications for the World Cup.
As a result of the protest, the players initially refused to board the plane for Brazil to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup.
The NFF had offered to pay $5000 for a win and $2500 for a draw, but the players insisted on getting $10,000 for a win and $5000 for a draw.
The stalemate was broken by the intervention of the Minister who got additional funds to make up for the shortfall proposed by the NFF.
The Panel will be chaired Mr. Segun Adeniyi, chairman of Thisday Editorial Board and former Special Adviser to Late President Umar Yar’Adua.
M.r Adeniyi was also a member of the Presidential Task Force that was set up to ensure Nigeria’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup.
Other members of the panel are: Onoche Anibeze, Group Sports Editor, Vanguard; Aisha Falode, Female Sports Personality; Shehu Dikko, member of the League Management Company and Ayo Oshuntokun, former MD of the News Agency of Nigeria.
The panel’s terms of reference of the Panel are: To determine the immediate and remote causes of the crisis over the match bonus; develop a code of conduct for players on national assignments and any other recommendations that it may deem necessary
According to Julius Ogunro, Media Assistant to the Sports Minister, the panel will be inaugurated Thursday, 11 July 2013, and has two weeks to submit its report.
