The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed its heartfelt appreciation to the Federal Government for intervening in the Super Falcons bonus and allowance saga.
Coach Florence Omagbemi’s ladies stormed the National Assembly and Aso Villa on Wednesday in protest after the NFF had failed to settle them for winning their eighth African Women Cup of Nations.
The Falcons finally got the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, who ordered the team be paid in a matter of days.
“We are grateful to the Presidency for the prompt action, and we believe this will put the minds of the players at rest,” Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Media and Communications, said on Thursday.
“It has been a very difficult time for the NFF; no official of the federation was happy that the players and officials could not be paid their entitlements immediately after the tournament.
“It is not as if the federation did not plan to pay the players and officials their entitlements. The NFF expected some money from a number of sources but this did not work out. They are champions and deserve to be treated as such; there are no doubts about that.
“This unfortunate situation calls for calm and patience on the part of all. The NFF cannot praise the Presidency enough.”
Olajire also stated that there was no time the NFF directed that the players should be ejected from the Agura Hotel and decried claims that no official went to see them at the hotel.
