WORLD CUP FLOP: REPS SUMMON SPORTS MINISTER, NFF

Bio
Following the dismal performances of the Super Eagles at the on-going World Cup fiesta in South Africa, the House of Representatives Committee on Sports has summoned Alhaji Isa Bio, Minister of Sports, and Sani Lulu, Chairman, Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), to appear before it tomorrow.

Daily Sun Sports gathered that the duo were summoned to defend the expenditure of N900million budgeted for the participation of the national team in the first Mundial on African soil.

Deputy chairman of the committee, Mr Gbenga Elegbeleye,  said that Nigerians deserved to know what went wrong with the team, after government provided conducive environment for the Super Eagles to excel.

'It is very clear that Nigerians were not happy with the outing of the Super Eagles. There is need to look into what happened and this is why the House invited the minister and the chairman of NFF to brief us, he said.

As the representatives of the people, the lawmaker said that the House would want to know how much of the money would be refunded into government coffers, since the Nigerian side could not go beyond the group stage.

He argued that for the preparations of the Super Eagles for the tournament,  the N900million was actually released to the Sports Ministry to pay players' allowances as they progressed in the tournament and since they could not go far, the balance of the fund must be returned.

Mr Elegbeleye insisted that the ministry must account for all expenses made at the Mundial just as he warned that the House would neither condone any frivolity nor accept excuses for the poor performance of the players. According to him, the committee would equally be interested in finding out the reason for the sudden crashing of the Super Eagles at the group stage even when all hopes were high for them to at least get to the quarter final.