The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, has been directed to investigate and take necessary action
against Mr Pinnick Amaju Melvin, Mallam Shehu Dikko and three other top board
members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
A statement by Nneka, the Media
Aide to the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, said the probe was
sequel to a petition the anti-graft agency received from a former Super Eagles’
Coach, James Peters.
The
petition was dated May 4, 2018 and titled: ‘MONUMENTAL STEALING AND FINANCIAL
CRIMES IN THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION’
In the petition, Peters, who
coached National teams and led them to notable victories, urged the EFCC to
carry out a thorough investigation on an alleged “unprecedented stealing,
corrupt practices and financial crimes being perpetrated by the current
President Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, the General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi,
the 1st Vice President Barrister Seyi Akinwumi, the 2nd Vice President Mallam
Shehu Dikko and a member of the Executive Committee Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf (AKA
Fresh).”
The former Technical Director
also alleged of “stealing and fraudulent activities by FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES
LTD, a company cunningly brought into the NFF by President Amaju Pinnick for
the sole purpose of warehousing money outside the official accounts of the NFF
in the Central Bank and diverting same for fraudulent activities.”
Similarly, the petition stated
that “These NFF chieftains have also used the company MEDITERRANEAN SPORTS
LIMITED belonging to Mallam Shehu Dikko who is the 2nd Vice President of the
Executive Committee, Chairman of the League Management Company, a body saddled
with the responsibility of running the Elite league, and attracts millions of
dollars from sponsorships and Chairman, Marketing and Sponsorship sub-committee
of the NFF to collect over 40% of revenues from the numerous sponsors of the
NFF.”
The petitioner in the letter,
alleged that despite the Federal government’s policy of Treasury Single Account
where monies of government Parastatals are lodged for purposes of checking leakages
etc, Mr Amaju Pinnick and others obtained the services of FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES
COMPANY LTD to warehouse revenue accruing to the NFF from well spirited
individuals and Corporate organizations which never got to the NFF.
He further alleged that funds
made available by corporate sponsors were never disclosed.
Mr Peters called for a Forensic
audit to be carried out to look at all approvals and retirements by the
mentioned persons.
In a notification letter with ref
no. EFCC/EC/mos/59/17, and written to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry
of Youth and Sports by the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, the
anti-graft agency notified the Ministry that it had received a petition from Mr
Peters.
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