Jalla faults Dikko’s claim on FIFA Forward Funds

•Calls Statement Misleading

By Joe Apu

Football stakeholder Prince Harrison Jalla has described as “misleading” the recent statement by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, that no one collected the FIFA Forward Funds meant for football development projects in Nigeria.

In a statement released to the press, Jalla challenged Dikko’s assertion, presenting what he called verifiable evidence of disbursements made from the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) account.

According to Jalla, the FIFA Forward Funds are paid directly into the NFF’s Central Bank account, which is under the control of the football body. He cited two specific transactions linked to the Ugborodo project in Delta State.

“On October 25, 2020, the sum of USD 262,116.28 was transferred to the First Bank account of the contractor handling the Ugborodo project as the first tranche payment,” Jalla stated.

“Another payment of USD 306,045.52 was made on May 7, 2021. These are the only payments received by the contractor so far.”

Jalla noted that the physical progress on-site, as well as the materials already delivered, justify the amount paid, adding that the project has stalled while unused materials are deteriorating.

He accused Dikko of attempting to defend the NFF despite what he described as “widespread public perception of corruption” within the federation.

“Dikko must stop defending the NFF. Nigerians already know that the NFF is corruption personified,” Jalla said. “He should instead focus on his duties as NSC Chairman and constitute the Commission’s board, which he has failed to do for over a year.”

Jalla further questioned the inclusion of $200,000 as “tax” in the project contracts for both the Ugborodo and Kebbi sites, arguing that FIFA funds should not be taxable.

“The simple question remains: where is the balance of the money to complete the Ugborodo project?” he asked.

He urged Dikko to ensure completion of the Ugborodo facility rather than defending the NFF’s handling of the FIFA Forward Funds.