Shehu Dikko, the national sports commission’s chairperson, has refuted allegations that the $1.2 million FIFA fund was used to extort funds for the construction of the mini-stadium in Kebbi State.
No one collected the funds, according to Dikko, who claimed in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, insisting that FIFA had managed the project funds directly.
No one collected the money because that is where people are getting it wrong. They can defend themselves, but I’m not here to defend the NFF.
What happens to the NFF has an impact on the entire sports ecosystem, according to the leader of the country. Therefore, he said, “we need to set the record straight for people to understand how this works.”
The Munich Allianz Arena will host the 2028 Champions League final.
He explained that the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is denied access to the funds because the governing body appoints consultants, oversees contracts, and pays contractors directly under FIFA’s project structure.
I was in charge of FIFA projects, and I am familiar with its operation. Because FIFA manages its projects directly, no one collected the funds. The NFF’s job is to give the people’s wishes and land. According to Dikko, FIFA then chooses consultants, conducts procurement, and pays the contractor directly to complete the project.
The NSC chairman clarified that the project was approved in 2015 and that procurement started in 2016, clarifying that the project was not valued at the current exchange rate.
This project is not worth the $1.2 million it currently costs. The value was about $ 300 million when it was approved in 2015. He explained that that was the project’s original value at the time.
He added that construction and contract signing was postponed due to delays in obtaining land and gathering documentation, which FIFA’s appointed contractor then started doing.
A public tender and procurement procedure took place prior to the project signing. Simply put, people take pictures and assume they are incomplete. The project’s initial stage was only represented by the structure that was shown, according to Dikko.
Following widespread criticism of its appearance and value, the Birnin Kebbi mini-stadium project, which was funded through FIFA’s Forward Programme, has come under serious scrutiny.
FIFA’s use of the stadium’s image on its social media banner, which sparked outcry and inquiries into an investigation, led to the ensuing controversy.
Dikko reaffirmed that FIFA is still in charge of managing the project, insisting that all funds were handled honestly and to the highest standards.
Source: Channels TV
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