BY BEN OGBEMUDIA

Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has refuted claims that the Super Falcons are yet to receive their match bonuses, stressing that all payments have been made and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s $100,000 reward and apartments for the team will be delivered “in record time.”

Olopade in an interview with Arise News on Friday said he had personally verified with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and team captain Rasheedat Ajibade that the players’ bonuses had been settled.

“I know authoritatively that all their bonuses, without going to the figures, have been paid. I’ve confirmed from NFF and I’ve confirmed from Ajibade that, but for maybe one or two whose accounts are with the CBN, all of their monies have been paid. To now say that Ajibade said they’ve not been paid, I don’t think it’s true,” he said.

He rejected what he described as false reporting and urged that the players not be placed in a “predicament” over statements they did not make.

“We should not put the young woman in a predicament of denying or saying she said something that she didn’t say when, in the real sense, the money is in their accounts and is with them.”

The NSC chief emphasised that all presidential pledges would be honoured.

“It will be paid. As of a few days ago, Madam Chairwoman was still talking to the Minister for Housing. Work has already started on how they will get their apartments in record time. We are in a government that fulfils promises,” he said.

“We deserve an apology for that. Because it is wrong, it is a lie. Those bonuses were paid even before the final matches — to the tune of almost 30,000 each. Each player has been paid their bonuses before the final matches. And now it is out there that we’ve not paid those bonuses, which is a lie.”

On sports federation elections, Olopade outlined reforms aimed at fairness and wider participation.

“One of the things we have started doing is to ensure that nobody is disenfranchised. Broaden the scope so that more people can come into playing their role in federation administration. Look at the AFN election — it was seamless. Tomorrow, we’re having the weightlifting election and we’ve advised it be postponed so people who felt disenfranchised can be part of it.

“Our strategy is very simple: let people who are passionate about sports come on board. Let people who can share the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with sports — creating a sports economy ecosystem that works for all and creating a podium stand for us in the final analysis.”

Olopade said the commission, under his leadership and that of Chairman Malam Shehu Dikko, had a proven record of fulfilling commitments.

“When we tell athletes they will be given, they get it. We don’t play games with their remuneration. Contrary to that same old story, the approach should be to confirm whether a story is true before publishing,”he concluded.