By Amaechi Agbo

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung has disclosed that Nigeria Football Federation President, NFF, Amaju Pinnick, ambushed him in Benin to beg for forgiveness over the N1.6 billion World Cup fund, bestchoicesports.com.ng can report

Dalung who was reacting to pictures that trended online showing him and the NFF President at the twilight of last year, said that meeting Pinnick in Edo State was not a planned convergence.

Dalung who said he visited the Edo State governor for them to put heads together on the hosting of the 2020 National Sports Festival, added that it was the governor who made the request for him to meet with Pinnick and he obliged him.

“I have the responsibility of oversight and ensuring that rules and regulations are complied with. All I did was to raise an issue concerning the N1.6 Billion World Cup fund which they went public denying government’s funding of the tournament. I said that was not correct because it was putting government in bad light. we are actually funded every activity of football in Nigeria. All the matches played during the World Cup was funded by government. We released 1.6 billion to them during the World Cup which they were unable to give us the account. Unfortunately, that was misconstrued as if there were crises, no. It cannot be crisis. I was just doing my job, telling them to do what is right.

“About the picture trending with me and NFF, yes, in Benin Pinnick ambushed me. I was just stepping out when the governor, who is a good friend of mine, said he would do something unusual and I asked him ‘what is it?’ he requested that I allowed him to bring in somebody and when I asked him who the person was, he mentioned his name. and I told him that in view of my relationship with him the governor, there is no problems.

“Amaju came and said that if there is anything they have done which have angered me, they are asking for apology. And I told him that we are all human being. To err is human and to forgive is divine. That was what took place and I told him that they must respect my office as a minister and that they should open up space to accommodate more people. The crisis in NFF is not about leadership, it is about narrowing the space. A country of about 180 million people and you are narrowing the space, you know there will be troubles and throwing of stones from contending interests. That was what I asked them to do and I think they are taking it up and we are progressing,” Dalung said.

On whether the ministry is releasing fund for the federation and if he had recognized Pinnick-led NFF board in view of his stand against the election that ushered Pinnick in for a second term, the minister said; “Releasing fund to NFF is tied to retirement. In government, even the ministry of youth and sports, the government will not release money to us if the previously released funds were not retired or accounted for. The president will not give you more money again. It was not that it was deliberate, no. it is just tied to the fact that you should retire what you have been given so that we can give you more. That is what they have not understood and we have challenges in terms of making them understand what retirement means. I have directed the Permanent Secretary to go and guide them so that they can retire. We have approved the release of some fund for them.

“There is nothing about recognition. I said that the election took place in view of an existing court order. So legality or illegality does not apply,” he concluded