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*Don’t mind them, they are owing allowances of 2014 Namibian victory
*Can they owe Super Eagles players like that?
Former Nigeria attacker, Stella Mbachu, has urged the members of the Super Falcons to continue their principled protest till their bonuses and allowances owed them by the bankrupt Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are paid.
The team had on the 3rd December won in a record eight time the African Women’s Cup of Nations out of 10 editions following their 1-0 victory over hosts, Cameroon, in the final.
The NFF which has since gone bankrupt and cannot even service common internet facility for the secretariat is also owing her secretariat staffers backlog of months of salaries, is owing each player bonuses and allowances totalling $25,000. This sum arising from bonuses from the qualifiers, camping and championship proper has forced the team to begin a week-long media-centred protest in their Abuja hotel since last week Tuesday.
However, the NFF reportedly paid the players N100,000 on Sunday with a promise to pay them their full entitlements later. They are buying into the players’ understanding after threatening many of them will never smell the national team again.
Mbachu, who spoke on Monday, said the money was too small for the players to call off their protest.
“The players have been demanding what is rightly theirs and it should continue till they are paid. The ladies should not leave the hotel because once they leave, their allowances will go up in flame and fizzle into thin air,” she said.
“I can remember that such a thing happened after the team’s triumph in 2014 in Namibia. We were promised to be paid after we arrived in the country but we haven’t heard anything about it even till now. The NFF has been unfair to female players.
“The Super Eagles won’t be owed for this long. This is really a sad treatment for a team that went through the qualifiers to the final of a competition unpaid. The ladies shouldn’t be intimidated by anything because that is the only way they can get what is theirs.”
She added, “If it is true that they have been paid N100,000 each then that is no money at all. It is too small. If the complete money isn’t paid, they should stay there.
“The ladies should be given their entitlements and allowed to go home in peace. They aren’t requesting extra – just their rightful money and that should be given to them.”
