Nigeria: Sports Commission, Kwara FA Disagree Over Pitch Maintenance Revenue

The chairman of Kwara Sports Commission, Bola Magaji and Chairman of Kwara State Football Association (FA), Alhaji Idris Abdullahi Musa (Thuraya), are at loggerheads over alleged embezzlement of money realised from the use of the Ilorin Township Stadium pitch by clubs.

The disagreement has led to the withdrawal of the FA from the maintenance of the grass pitch of the main-bowl of the stadium complex, Ilorin.

Thuraya had alleged that the Commission under Mogaji was not remitting money collected for the use of the pitch by clubs to the appropriate quarters.

According to him, "We cannot continue to make the facility conducive for use while some people are collecting revenue on it, and not remitting part of it to support the maintenance processes."

He added that the commission is directing people to pay into personal accounts rather than the purse of the government or that of the state internal revenue service.

But speaking on the issue, Mogaji denied receiving money through his personal account or any other account.

He said "No money was paid to my personal account but N3 million was paid to the FA's account out of which N1 million was remitted to the account of the commission, the statutory body charged with managing and overseeing the stadium.

"Before we got the money, it took us two weeks, pursuing their officers. We were stone walled and it only came after we locked the stadium," he added.

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