FIFA U-17 World Cup – why does everything about Nigeria have to be a scam

Nigeria never ceases to amaze me:

why does everything about Nigeria have to be a scam. Presidency-scam. Police-scam. Education-scam. Airports-scam. National assembly-scam. Political parties-scam. Asokoro-scam. Sports-scam. Infrastructure-scam, etcetera, etcetera – the average Nigerian is a scam.

Finance crisis rocks FIFA U-17 World Cup fiesta

Sport minister, chairmen bicker
By Gowon Akpodonor

THE fear of embezzlement and high level of fraudulent activities earlier expressed by many Nigerians before the kick – off of the on-going Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, may be playing itself out, following allegations of sharp practices now rocking the organisation of the Youth football Championship.

And not ready to pay for the ’sins’ of alleged financial recklessness by Chairmen of the various Committees and Sub-Seats, the Sports Minister, Sani Ndanusa, has ordered that henceforth, no money should be released until retirement of the previous ones are effected.

But this stand by the Minister seems not to be going down well with the chairmen of the various committees and Sub-seats. They are pointing accusing fingers at the Minister (Ndanusa) as well as the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the LOC, Mainasara Illo, saying that the duo have more explanations to give to Nigerians on how the sum of N12.1 billion said to have been released by the Federal Government so far for the tournament, was spent. The FIFA U-17 World Cup is now in its semi final stage.

A top official of the LOC in Abuja told The Guardian yesterday that the disagreement, if not nipped in the bud as quickly as possible, may escalate into a full scale war between the Minister and some angry committee chairmen and sub-seats. “And this will not be good enough for the image of the country, especially now that FIFA officials are still around and attention of the entire world is focused on Nigeria,” the source stated yesterday.

In a letter from the Presidency with Ref. NSC / HMC / GEN / CON / 2009, dated November 5, 2009 and addressed to the Chairman of the LOC, made available to The Guardian yesterday by one of the angry members of the LOC in Abuja, the Minister stated point-blank that no releases of money will be made until retirement of the previous ones are effected.

The letter signed by U.T Shua for the Minister/Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and captioned Re: Financial Requirement of the LOC for FIFA U-17 World Cup (Nigeria 2009), reads: “I am directed to refer to your letter Ref. No. LOC/FIFA U-17 WC/Vol.1/014 dated November 4, 2009 in respect of the above subject matter and to kindly draw your attention to the attached list of releases to different committees which have not been properly accounted for by each sub-committee.

2. It is in this vein, that I am further directed to kindly inform you that no releases are to be made until retirement of the previous ones are effected.

3. Please accept the Hon. Minister/Chairman’s best sporting regards.”

It was learnt yesterday that the minister’s decision to stop further release of money for the Championship was based on the fact that some LOC members and Sub-seats Chairmen are being accused of financial recklessness in their handling of money released to them for the day- to- day running of the competition. But the LOC member, who spoke on condition of anonymity yesterday, said that the Sports Minister (Ndanusa) and Mainasara Illo are allegedly holding on to more than 90 per cent of the money released by the Federal Government for the organisation of the U-17 World Cup. He alleged that so far, the sum of N12.1 billion had been released by the Federal Government, and that only N900 million had been released to the Committee Chairmen and Sub-Seats since the championship began on October 24.

Going by the breakdown of money so far given to the committees/sub seats for the Championship, as made available to The Guardian yesterday in Abuja, Logistic (LOC Board meeting and general purpose got N20 million from its updated budget of N75 million. It has a balance of N55 million. In the same way, the Marketing Committee got N78.4 million from the N140 million budget, with a balance of N61.6 million. The Ceremonies Committee has received N65 million from its N103.9 million budget and are said to be waiting for the balance of N38.9 million, just as Mobilisation Committee got N30 million for its updated budget of N40 million leaving a balance of N10 million.

The Volunteer Committee got N40 million from its N102.15 million with a balance of N62.15 million to collect. The Transport Committee has collected N97 million for its budgeted sum of N638 million, leaving a balance of N541 million. The Accreditation Committee got N40 million from its N75 million budget, waiting for a balance of N35 million, just as the Security Committee got N80 million from its N300 million budget, waiting for the balance of N220 million.

The Media Broadcast Committee got N40 million from its budget of N98 million, expecting to collect N58 million, while the Media Print Committee got N30 million from its budget of N58 million while waiting to pick a balance of N28 million.

The Medical Committee got N15 million from its budget of N24 million, waiting for a balance of N9 million, just as the Protocol Committee got N18 million from its budget of N60 million, leaving a balance of N42 million.

According to the document, Lagos Sub-Seat was paid N40 million from the N80 million budgeted, waiting to collect a balance of N40 million, just as Ijebu-Ode was paid N21 million from its N45 million budget, leaving a balance of N24 million. Enugu got N40 million from N60 million budgeted, waiting to collect N20 million, while Calabar got N44 million from the N60 million budgeted, waiting for a balance of N16 million. The Bauchi sub-Seat got N16 million from the N45 million budgeted, waiting to pick N29 million, while the Kaduna sub-seat got N44 million from the budget of N60 million, leaving a balance of N16 million.

The Kano Sub-seat got N40 million from the budget of N60 million, waiting to collect a balance of N20 million, while the Abuja Sub-seat got N40 million from the budget of N60 million, waiting for a balance of N20 million. A budget of N5 million was put in place for Warri Sub-seat, but has not been paid. The Warri Stadium was rejected by FIFA from participation in the Championship.

Before the commencement of the Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, many Nigerians had expressed doubt that the organisation of the Championship would end up the in the same way of COJA 2003 All Africa Games, in which the country invested so much money but with no profit or gains to show at the end. Instead, the country ended up enduring a colossal debt. When most Nigerians expected anti-graft agencies to investigate the monumental waste and fraud of COJA 2003, everything died down to Nigerians’ dismay

Apart from the Coja 2003 Games, other big championships hosted by Nigeria, like the Nigeria 99 World Youth Championship and the co-hosting of the Ghana/Nigeria 2000 Africa Cup of Nations had ended the same way.

Feeling sad about the alleged fraudulent activities of past and present officials in charge of hosting World and inter-continental competitions, who have always betrayed Nigerians’ trust by diverting tax-payers’ money for their private need, an elderly citizen, who has followed World sporting events since 1958 World Cup in Switzerland, told The Guardian yesterday,

“As far back as the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Peter Ueberoth, the Chief Executive Officer of the Games, succeeded for the first time in showing the world that organisers of a world sporting spectacle can make huge profits for the hosting country. Since then, hosts of the Olympic Games, World Cup (football), World Athletics Championships, World Swimming Championships and the Commonwealth Games have consistently reported big monetary profit and significant improvement of their economy.”

“What do we have in Nigeria?” he asked. ” It is the complete opposite. I don’t know why we are so corrupt in this country.” There is even talk about town that one top member of the LOC of Nigeria 2009 has just imported three brand new cars from the United States for himself, as well as buying a house in Dubai. Believe me, some people don’t fear God. There is corruption everywhere you turn,” the elder citizen concluded.

The two semi final matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup will hold in Lagos later this week and there is fear that the cold war between the Sports Minister and members of the LOC might play a spoiler role, if the Presidency fails to act early.

source: click here

hope you took notice of the highlighted portions above. For example:  “the Ceremonies Committee has received N65 million from its N103.9 million budget and are said to be waiting for the balance of N38.9 million”

I’m wondering which ceremony/ies the Ceremonies Committee managed / are planning to manage which needed an expended sum of N65million Naira…..

and yet this same government is talking about deregulation in the fuel sector

Tags: FIFA, U-17

FIFA should have imported generators into Nigeria if they didn’t expect power failure

Floodlight Failure Disrupts U-17 World Cup Match Between Spain And USA

Two stoppages disrupted a sell-out match at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup…

The FIFA Under-17 World Cup Group E match between Spain and the USA at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Monday night was disrupted twice due to floodlight failure.

Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai was forced to first halt proceedings for about five minutes around the 52nd minute of the encounter when one of the floodlights went off. He was forced to do so again in the 65th minute when the lights at the other end of the pitch failed.

Besides these stoppages, this game, watched by an impressive crowd of 19,500 fans, produced several highlights.

Spanish defender Sergei Gomez was sent off in the second minute and just moments later the USA took the lead through leading scorer Jack McInerney.

The USA’s lead did not last long though as Spain hit back in the 22nd minute through Borja and on the half hour mark, Pablo Sarabia notched the match winner for the Spaniards.

Courtesy of their 2-0 win over Malawi earlier Monday, United Arab Emirates top Group E, while Spain are second in the standings.

In Group F, Algeria lost 1-0 to Italy to complete a miserable opening round of matches for African teams at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Save for hosts Nigeria, who salvaged a point against Germany, Africa’s four other representatives have thus far lost their opening matches at this championship.

Italy’s winner was netted by Fredico Carraro in the 78th minute and Algeria, who are making their debut in this competition, must blame poor finishing for this loss as they created several chances but could not put away any of them.

South Korea lead this group based in Kaduna after their 3-1 victory over Uruguay, also on Monday.

Samm Audu, Goal.com 

source: click here

Is this the first time in history that there’ll be power failure in a FIFA football match anywhere in the world? why is everyone making noise about it.

This is Nigeria for crying out loud, and once you land on our soil, please adjust

Methinks FIFA could have imported generators into each stadium if they wanted Nigeria to host U17 flawlessly – as far as electricity is concerned.

I just hope the foreign players were not scared.

Tags: FIFA

Magadi Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite, so what?

The news is out and the world is going gaga over ‘some medical reports’ that indicate that Magadi Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite. After winning the 800m 2009 Word Championships in Atheletics, suddenly everybody became interested in the newest black sensation.

The tests carried out on the 18 year-old shortly after her victory in Berlin are believed to have shown that she has a chromosomal abnormality that gives her both male and female characteristics. Read on: click here

This got me asking google: what exactly is an hermaprodite? Ok then, she has no womb, no ovaries but she has internal testes, and whatever / whatever not the medics have found out; but honestly, who cares? whose fault?