Pay Siasia His Money, Dalung Orders NFF

The Minister of Youth & Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has ordered the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pay the coach of the country’s U23 side, Samson Siasia, his outstanding salary.

Dalung said this when Siasia and his wife, Eunice paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja on Monday, to appreciate him for his support during the Rio Olympic Games and to officially inform the minister that his contract as the country’s U23 head coach has expired.

The minister thereafter directed the NFF Secretary-general, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, who was present at the meeting, to ensure the former Super Eagles player gets his five months’ salary arears.

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“Please, pay him his five months’ salaries. They said he has resigned, but he just said that his contract expired after the Olympics,” the minister said.

“His contract expired but you are owing him five months’ salaries and you have gone to employ a foreign coach and will pay him in dollars.

“It means you don’t like yourselves and nobody will sympathise with you. Please, spare me the stress of talking about this salary issue or going to war with you on it. Please, pay him and other coaches their outstanding salaries,” he added.

The NFF Secretary-general assured the minister that Siasia and other coaches will get their money as efforts are already being made to ensure that.

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“We have held meetings and we are waiting for the money. The money is already there in our account but we need to regularise the TSA procedures before we can claim the money. We are almost through with the process. Once that is concluded, we will pay them,” Sanusi assured.

It will be recalled that Siasia over the weekend stepped down as head coach of the Nigeria U23 side, after his contract with the NFF ran out.

He had incessantly pleaded with the Glass House to pay him his five months salary arrears, as he hasn’t been paid since March 2016.

“What is very important is that I get every kobo that I am owed. I need the money now than ever and I believe I have really endured and I have been cooperative,” the 49-year-old said earlier in the week.

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