With just few days to the first leg of their crucial Olympic Games qualifier against Ghana, Nigeria's female national team the Super Falcons have been hit by darkness, as the National Electric Power Plc (NEP Plc) has cut off power supply to the Liberty Stadium Hostel of the team over the huge electricity bills being owed, whilst officials of the NFA insist they will not pay the bills because the NFA did not incur said bills.
The hostel has been in darkness for nearly one week, as Hostel staff resort to pumping water for one hour every day with the diesel generator in the camp, but diesel ran out on Wednesday and the camp has been without water.
Stunningly, there is little Head Coach Ismaila Mabo can do as a father amidst the girls. He says he has been trying to reach NFA officials but to no avail.
"I tried to call the Secretary General, but he has left for Tunisia already and there is nobody to attend to us," he said.
"The Secretary who is our liaison went to Abuja to get money." He told www.nigeriasports.com on phone.
Heavy burden
The All Africa Games, Gold wining coach stressed that, He regretted that players who were dropped over a week ago are yet to leave the camp because the NFA had not paid them their camp allowances
"I can’t send the girls away because they have to be paid their money before they go, and the unfortunate thing is that the longer they stay, the more the NFA will have to pay for the extra days."Mabo lamented.
Troubled Falcons
Sadly, the nonchalant attitude of the NFA towards the Falcons has been lingering for years with the sad case of former Captain Prisca Emeafu frequently coming to mind.
Emeafu had her soccer career cut short as she injured herself at the Gateway hotel camp of the Falcons few years ago, with the NFA ignoring her plea for assistance so as to correct her ruptured ankle.
Familiar trend
According to Board Member and Chairman of Female Football Committee of the NFA, Ayo Omidiran, she had not been officially informed of the condition of the girls in camp.
"I have not been in town and am surprised to hear about these problems but I can assure you that everything should be okay by Monday," she told www.nigeriasports.com
Meanwhile, www.nigeriasports.com reliably gathered that the players are scheduled to move into the three-star D'Rovans Hotel next Monday, the Hotel situated on Ring Road in Ibadan is owned by boxing promoter, Chief Festus Aiyegbeni.
Food poisoning
Another reports from the camp say that most of the girls are suffering from running stomach, while Judith Omonikhire's case has resulted to full-blown cholera. It is not clear where exactly the cause of the problem is, but officials say they suspect the sachet water otherwise known as ‘Pure Water’ being given to the girls as the cause.
Aside the lack of good water another source points at the food served to the girls. Whilst Foreign-based players like Mercy Akide, Maureen Mmadu and Patience Avre are said to have made private arrangements for their own bottled water on arrival in camp and are so far unaffected by the outbreak the same cannot be said of local based players.
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