by Mark Bassey
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is expected to return $3 million (N510 million) to the Federal Government, sometime this week.
The money is part of the appearance fee paid by FIFA to the Super Eagles at the World Cup in Brazil, money which the Federal Government paid for the team to play their second round match of the World Cup against France.
The Eagles had boycotted training and threatened not to play the match against France if the allowance from FIFA was not paid.
But by the second round of the World Cup, FIFA had not paid the money, hence, the team insisted that the country paid the money to them before the played their next match.
President Goodluck Jonathan eventually intervened by sending the money through Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo, in a chartered aircraft to the Super Eagles, in Brazil.
The team would, however, be eliminated from the tournament, after losing 2-0 to France at the Estardo Nacional in Brasilia to exit the World Cup.
Before now, it had been widely reported from various quarters that when FIFA eventually pays the money, the $3 million released by Government may go missing, but apparently, the NFF has expressed its intention of returning the money to the Government.
Last week, the Secretary-General of the federation Musa Amadu stated that the federation would return the money to the Federal Government.
The board of the NFF, led by Chairman, Amaju Pinnick, also confirmed on Sunday, December 7, that the money would be returned this week.
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