Super Falcons’ bonuses have been settled, $100,000, houses underway — Sport director

Nigeria Sports director, Bukola Olopade, has refuted claims that the Super Falcons haven’t received their tournament bonuses, stating that almost all of the players have been paid.

Speaking on Arise News TV’s “The Morning Show” on Friday, Olopade, the director-general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), said he personally confirmed with team captain Rasheedat Ajibade and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that the bonuses were settled.

Olopade said:

“I have spoken to Ajibade directly and I have in my phone messages between Ajibade and Mallam Shehu Dikko, the chairman of the Sports Commission, where she vehemently denied ever saying their bonuses have not been paid.

I know authoritatively that all their bonuses, without going into figures, have been paid.

“I have confirmed from NFF and I have confirmed from Ajibade, but for only one or two whose accounts have issues with the CBN, all of their monies have been paid in terms of the bonuses.

“To now say the bonuses have not been paid is not true. I don’t think we should put the young woman (Ajibade) in the predicament of denying or saying she said something she didn’t say, when in the real sense, the money is in their accounts.

“On the promise Mr President made, we need to stop playing politics and games with everything, it will be paid. A few days ago, Mallam Shehu Dikko was still talking to the Minister for Housing and I sat down with the gentleman in charge of the Renewed Hope Homes, and work has already started on how they will get the apartments in record time.

“Look, we are in a government that fulfills promises; a whole lot of things have changed. When we tell athletes ‘A’ will be given, they get ‘A’. We don’t play games with their remuneration, we don’t play games with them going for competitions. We are quick to say this is what we can do — go out and make the country proud.”