Eagles bonus row: Mikel, Enyeama snub panel

Eagles bonus row: Mikel, Enyeama snub panel

NIGERIAN international, Mikel Obi snubbed the probe panel investigating the bonus row involving the Super Eagles after the 2014 World Cup qualifier in Namibia.

The embattled Chelsea player, who is on the verge of getting his way out of the English Premiership League (EPL) failed to respond to all the entreaties sent to him, just as goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who captained Nigeria in the match did not respond as well.
Chairman of the panel Segun Adeniyi made the disclosure when he presented the panel report to the  Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi in Abuja.
"We tried to call John Obi Mikel, Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, but we could not get them, so we sent text messages (SMS) to them but it was only Joseph Yobo who returned our telephone call," Adeniyi disclosed.
He stated that the panel did a thorough job in getting across all the actors involved in the bonus row crisis including members of the technical crew, the leadership of the Nigeria Football federation and six home-based players as well as the team captain Yobo who missed the game in Namibia.
The players have vehemently kicked against the plan of the NIgeria Football Federation to slash the match bonus of the Super Eagles from $10,000 to $5,000 as a result of lean purse.
Already, speculations are rife that the panel did recommend the slash in the bonus of the team as proposed while a draw should no longer attract any bonus unlike in the past where the NFF had done so on the excuse of motivating the players to win subsequent games especially during a championships.
Meanwhile, former spokesman of NFF, Austin Mgbolu, has said that the bonus row could spell doom for Nigerian football as the players could easily get distracted as a result of probe panel report which is yet to be made public.
"Whoever must have advised the release of the long awaited bonus panel report at this crucial time does not mean well for this country.
"Apart from the open challenge mounted by the technical committee of the NFF on the Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, about his camping modalities and the alleged long list of invited players, called up for the preparation against the Malawian hurdle, the coach now have to contend with an additional bonus issue that the players will not find funny.
"My question is why sow crisis at this critical point, when the coach and his boys are about to make history?" Mgbolu remarked.
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