Pay Super Falcons Today, Buhari Orders Minister Of Finance
By Andah John with agency report
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Minister of Finance and the Sports Minister to ensure the victorious Super Falcons are paid their entitlements today.
The president gave the order on Wednesday.
The Falcons had earlier in the day embarked on a peaceful protest march against the non-payment of their allowances by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Players protesting unpaid entitlements
Each player of the team is reportedly owed up to $25,000 by the country’s football federation. But the NFF said they were yet to raise the money.
The Falcons, who earlier this month won their eighth Africa Women’s Cup of Nations title in Cameroon, have been protesting against the non-payment of their entitlements.
They refused to leave their hotel rooms at Agura Hotel in Abuja, since their return from Cameroon.
But on Wednesday they staged a protest march, carrying various placards with inscriptions along the roads between the National Assembly and the secretariat gate of the Presidential Villa.
Speaking later, the Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, told State House correspondents that the issue had been resolved.
He said government had since directed appropriate authorities to settle the players’ allowances and bonuses.
Ministries of Finance, Sports ordered to pay
“The problem has been resolved. They have done us proud and we congratulated them. The Ministries of Sports and Finance have been directed to pay tomorrow [Thursday].
“I don’t know the details of the arrears. But they have been directed to pay,” the presidential aide said.
Kyari, who earlier spoke with the players on Wednesday during their protest march to the Aso Rock Villa gate, had urged them to return to their hotel rooms.
He assured them that their outstanding payment would be settled within 24 hours.
