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The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has blamed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Chris Ohaa, for its inability to meet its obligations to Team Nigeria’s athletes and its other partners in Rio.
An NOC official, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that Ohaa has refused to hand over the money allocated to the committee to the body, just as he has refused to give the sports federations their own allocations.
He said, “there are certain things the federations are expected to take care of here with regards to their athletes, but because Ohaa, in his wisdom, has held onto the their funds, they cannot do such things.
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“I am aware that one of the federations has not been able to get their allotted masseur to function, because the money budgeted for that purpose is still in Ohaa’s hands.
“The NOC has three vehicles allotted to it by the local organizing committee, but it has not been able to use the cars because there is no money to pay the drivers. Every NOC is expected to take care of such bills.
“What it means is that the NOC cannot attend some of the meetings outside the Games Village because they have not paid the drivers. And you know that the politics of the games are played in such meetings, which are held most times late at night,” he said.
