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NFF Vs BSN Sports: The World Will Know The Truth – BSN counsels

Published

7 years ago

May 23, 2019

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dragged an online sports
publication, www.bsnsports.com.ng to court over a publication on the
website of the medium on 29th August, 2018, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report authoritatively.

www.bsnsports.com.ng which enjoys an extensive readership across the globe had run a story on the said date with the caption, ‘U-20 World Cup: Allowance Scandal Hit Falconets.’

In a civil matter, the NFF through suit case number FCT/HC/CV/975/19 instituted by its Head of Women Football, Ruth David dragged the Abuja-based online sports newspaper and its editor to a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Kwali, Abuja over allegations of false
report and defamation.

Meanwhile, BSN Sports as guaranteed by constitution expressed its principle of objectiveness as the writer in trying to balance the story as
the ethics of the job demands, called and quoted the Head of Women Football in the NFF, Miss Ruth David who denied the information and claimed that the Falconets and the officials of the team have been paid and that
no money got missing.

Despite fulfilling what professionalism of the job demanded, she however, not satisfied with the report, Ruth then in 2018 dragged the online newspaper, BSN Sports and its Editor to court over what she claimed to be a defamatory report.

She said the report defamed her character and portrayed her personality in bad light and slammed a suit of Twenty Million Naira (N20m) only on the newspaper.

But, when the case came up Thursday 23rd May, 2019 before Justice
Anna Iyabeni Akobi, seating at FCT High Court in Kwali Area Council, BSN Sports secured the services of Barrister Samuel Ihensenkien, an
activist, constitutional, criminal, and human right lawyer and Barrister Fayaienjigha Israel Jacob as its defence counsels.

The two defence counsels expressed the optimism that the whole world will know the truth about some of the affairs at the Nigeria Football Federation by the time the suit will come to a reasonable conclusion.

Ihensenkien has won many high profile cases in the past such as Federal Government of Nigeria Vs Nnamdi Kanu, Ekere Madu in his case vs DSS in 2015, Ekeson Plaza Vs AMAC and also Ekeson Plaza Vs Abuja Environmental Protection
Board (AEPB) to mention but a few.

Ihensenkien based on his wealth of experience was able to argue BSN’s case logically and the court on the grounds of fair hearing adjourn the case for defendant counsels to file their defence. As Ihensekhien Samuel Junior Esq was recently briefed the judge adjourned the case to 25th June, 2019.

In his reaction after the court process, Sam Junior (the human right lawyer, BSN Sports counsel) said: “We have
done our best today and the matter is adjourned till on the 25th June
and with everything we will put together, we should be able to put up
a defense so that the whole world will know the truth. I am confident
that at the conclusion of this matter, there will be an expose and the
truth will come out as regards some state of affair at the NFF.

“Definitely, all that will be put in our statement of defense. This case is a pointer to some of the things that is going on at the NFF.”

The judge adjourned the case to 25th June 2019 for hearing and asked
the plaintiff to come to court with their two witnesses.

Below is the excerpt of the “defamatory” story

U-20 World Cup: Allowance Scandal Hit Falconets
0 Comments, 29/08/2018,

by Niyi Busari

U-20 World Cup: Allowance scandal hits Falconets
…We have not been paid – athletes, officials
…They have all been paid – NFF staff

Like the dawn of a new day, another scandal of funds mismanagement has rocked the U-20 camp of the Falconets with the controversy over the non payment of camp allowances.

Coaches and athletes in the camp insisted with vehemence that they were not paid their camp allowance but the NFF official attached to the team insisted they all have been paid.

BSNsports investigation across board the number of players and officials sampled had a single voice, “we have not been paid” while the lone ranger is Miss Ruth David, who is insisting “I have paid them all.”

Like a stoking fire, it was an official who snitched that he is yet to earn from his sweat. When cross checked and there was denial, the story was expanded and it was rife that the team was not paid.

An NFF staffer pointed out that, “that is the trend in our female national teams since the Amaju Pinnick regime.

Ordinarily, Miss David is not supposed to handle cash. It is the team secretary that was meant by work schedule to handle cash. Who gave her the responsibility to handle the cash? That is the point to start the investigation.

Every team she had handled had the same problem of non full payment and no one dares complain.”

One of the athletes added that “we have not been paid all our 14-days camping allowances in Austria.

Quoting what they were told in Austria, “an NFF official claimed that the head of women football, Ruth David, lost £10,000. They said the money will be paid after the tournament.”
A coaching staff corroborated the story saying “we really suffered in Austria.

Thank God for the Sports Minister who came and dropped some personal cash for us. We were promised that we will receive the money before we go to France but it never come.

“Even as I talk to you, we are owed the 14-day camping allowances which they have not paid till now. They said the head of women football in NFF lost £10,000 so we can’t collect our money until we reach Nigeria and up till now, we have not heard anything,” said another member of the team.
When our correspondent called Ruth David, she denied the allegation of losing any money and stated clearly that NFF is not owing neither the players nor the coach a dime.

She confidently asked our correspondent to come to the NFF office to see all the documents that were used in paying their entitlements. She concluded that she will not present the documents unless the newspaper’s sources are mentioned.

“Who said so, we are not owing anybody a dime. All their money were paid before we leave (sic) France. You can come to the office to see all the documents for yourself, but not until you tell me the official who told you this, I will not show you the documents. ”

She said and angrily dropped the call.

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Featured

NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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