The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied claims that the body is owing the late Christian Chukwu some of his entitlements.
Chukwu, who captained the Green Eagles to win Nigeria’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in 1980, died on Saturday at the age of 74 after a brief illness.
The former Rangers of Enugu central defender worked as Super Eagles head coach from 2002 to 2005, leading them to bronze at the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia.
Upon Chukwu’s demise, there were claims that the NFF owed him up to $128,000 in salaries and allowances.
However, in response to the allegation, NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi said in a statement on Monday: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Mr. Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately.
“I am aware that ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the national teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.
“As a credible organisation that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately,” he promised.
The NFF is notorious for owing coaches, players and national team officials salaries, allowance and bonuses.
