Mikel Obi Reveals How Buhari Settled Super Eagles' Unpaid 2018 World Cup Bonuses Amid NFF President Failed Repeated Assurances
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the former Nigerian international footballer, John Mikel Obi, has disclosed how he pushed the issue of unpaid payments for Super Eagles players during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, despite repeated assurances from Nigeria Football Federation officials that payment would be made once the team was in camp.
OTN News further reports that Mikel who disclosed this while speaking on The Obi One Podcast, said that the problem began well before the competition, when players frequently inquired about their unpaid bonuses. Officials promised him that the issue will be rectified once the team was assembled.
Obi, who explained that as the squad’s uneasiness rose and the delays continued, he decided to escalate the situation by contacted Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari at the time.
According to him, the matter was quickly rectified, with a private plane apparently delivering millions of dollars in cash directly to the team’s hotel within 24 hours.
“Leading up to the World Cup, we were owed money. We had been asking for this money for months before the tournament. They kept telling me, ‘Oh, Mikel, don’t worry, the money will be sorted when you come to camp.’ I said, ‘Okay, no problem, but make sure the money is there because the players are asking me about their bonuses,’” he recounted.
After arriving in camp, Mikel stated that he followed up with the team secretary and NFF president but received the same promises. A week passed, and the players continued to express concern, believing they would never receive their money when the World Cup concluded.
“I called him and said, ‘Mr Chief of Staff, we have a serious issue in the national team. We need this money to settle the players. This is what was promised.’ Twenty-four hours later, a private plane arrived. The money was delivered to the hotel, hand to hand. Millions of dollars,” Mikel said.
He stated that he personally handed the cash to the team secretary with specific instructions that it should not be misappropriated.
“I took the money and handed it to the team secretary and told him to hold it. I said, ‘Make sure this money does not go to the president or anyone else. This money belongs to the players,’" he said.
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