The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has been accused of attempting to scam the federal government.
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This allegation is levelled at Dalung by former Special Assistant on Media to ex-Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi, Olukayode Thomas, in a letter the latter wrote to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Dalung had appealed to the National Assembly to appropriate sufficient funds for the preparation of the Super Eagles for the World Cup slated for next year’s June in the 2018 budget.
“In fact, let’s not be deceived. There was no budgetary allocation for the Super Eagles preparation for the 2018 World Cup in the 2017 budget.”
“We are not going as mere participants but as contenders with a new vision, culture and tradition of modern soccer and a determination to make an impact at the World Cup.
“With sports being a tool for effective service delivery which is capital intensive, it is imperative to have sufficient funds available to support every stage of the preparation in other to make a successful impact in Russia.
“By this token, I’m passionately appealing to NASS to support our participation by appropriating sufficient funds to sports in the budget next year and thereafter,” the minister had said in a statement he released recently.
Faulting Dalung’s statement, Thomas, who is the immediate past spokesman of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), said the minister’s call must be ignored, saying it smacked of scam, as preparation and participation of qualified countries in the World Cup are funded by FIFA.
The letter reads in part, “The burning issue now is the letter Dalung sent to you, through the Chairmen of the Appropriation and Sports Committees, requesting for the National Assembly to appropriate money for the Super Eagles preparation and participation in the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup. Don’t fall for it sir, it is a scam.” he said.
“The plot is not just a rip-off of the Federal Government; Dalung is also planning a stakeholder’s dinner which will include the National Assembly, State Governors and other concerned sports stakeholders to raise money for the same purpose.
“Nigeria and the other 31 teams that will vie for glory at the Russia 2018 World Cup will get $2 million each for preparations. After playing the first three games in the group stage, each team will get $10 million each. If our boys advance to round 16, they will pocket $12 million.
“Peradventure fortune smiles on our boys and they make it to the quarterfinal, the reward is an $18 million.
“If our team manages to get to the semifinal and they place fourth, $25 million is in the kitty; a third place guarantees them $30 million, second $40 million, and if they are lucky to win the cup, it is comes with a $50 million jackpot.
“Please disregard Dalung’s letter, it is a scam. A cheap one for that matter. This scam is as old as 1994 when Nigeria first qualified for the FIFA World Cup at the USA.”
