Wole Mosadomi
1 December 2008
Governor Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has said that the immediate past Niger Tornadoes Management Board has a case to answer over mismanagement of funds and other irregularities in the team especially at the tail end of last years Premier League.
The governor who was reacting for the first time over the dismal outing of the club last season while presenting next year's budget to members of the state House of Assembly in Minna said despite the huge amount invested on the club last season, it failed to live up to the expectation of both the government and its numerous fans.
He said last year alone, the sum of N160m was expended on the club but failed to gain promotion as a result of some certain irregularities within the club.
"The club started very well and went far on the League table but corruption set in later which saw the club crash landing from the top to the bottom of the League table," the governor remarked.
"Investigation revealed that the management of the club started selling our games and even players out to other clubs and when we discovered this, there were no proceeds from the sales of the players and all these contributed to the poor outing of the club," the governor further explained.
As if he was reporting the club and it's immediate management to members of the House of Assembly, politicians and top government officials at the budget presentation, governor Aliyu added, "Honourable members, a lot need to be done to investigate these anomalies."
Even though he did not announce any amount for the support of the club this season in the budget, the governor merely said, "Niger Tornadoes Football Club will continue to receive state government's support."
When contacted to react over the allegation leveled against it, the immediate past Chairman of the Management Committee of the Club, Malam Yusuf Dauda declined to comment saying, "I am a civil servant who has been invited to serve by contributing to the management of the club and I have played my own part and left for posterity to judge and cannot make comments especially when a governor has spoken."
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