NFF Denies Owning Late Football Legend Christian Chukwu $128,000

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has emphatically disowned reports being circulated on the social media that it owed late Nigerian football icon, Christian Chukwu, the sum of $128,000 at the time of his death.

The disavowal follows as the general public continues to question how late national sports legends are treated.

Chukwu, whom everyone knew fondly as “Chairman,” died on Saturday at 74. A celebrated figure of Nigerian football, Chukwu was the Super Eagles’ captain that led his side to victory for the very first Africa Cup of Nations in 1980, and thereafter also managed the country’s team between 2002 and 2005.

The NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in a statement on Monday, commented on the allegations that they were unsubstantiated and misleading.

“There is no trace in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu,” he said.

Dr. Sanusi also explained that during the first term of the Amaju Pinnick administration, a committee was established just to review and verify all coaches’ debts owed to them. This comprised obligations that were being carried over from previous administrations. According to his report, Chukwu’s time as Super Eagles coach was under this review, and there were no outstanding salaries not paid.

“The said committee had been given a simple mandate of verification of all the debts and to see coaches that were owed paid in bulk. Documents indicate that Christian Chukwu wasn’t owed by the federation,” Sanusi said.

The NFF equally challenged the person or people allegedly making such statements to bring viable evidence.

“As an orderly organization very keenly alive to its duty if we are ever confronted by any credible document of indebtedness against any coach we will immediately offset the debt” Sanusi averred.

Federation reaction comes during an avalanche of emotional eulogies pouring in for the late football legend. NFF acknowledged Chukwu’s invaluable service to Nigerian football and offered its condolences to his family and the footballing fraternity.

The clarification is seen as part of the NFF’s effort to be open and maintain its image untainted, especially in the wake of public hue and cry about the well-being of retired national athletes.