Press Release

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) has officially been served with a Freedom of Information Act request, in respect to the activities of the Federation which bothers on transparency and accountability.

The two-page document which was served to the Rugby Federation on Monday, the 3rd of February 2020 was titled : A REQUEST UNDER THE FOI ACT FOR LIST OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE GIVEN GRANTS TO NRFF IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

The request which was addressed to "The President Nigeria Rugby Football Federation", invoked relevant sections of the FOI Act to make the following request:

1. A list of international bodies or organizations that have given grants/subventions to the NRFF in the past five years – January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019.
2. The exact amount given to the NRFF by each of these bodies or organizations in the past five years in the currency in which the grant or subvention was given as well as the date on which each amount was given.
3. The stated purpose for which each of these grants or subventions was given to the NRFF.
4. The period during which each of the grants or subventions was to be utilized by the NRFF.
5. The terms or conditions attached to each of the grants or subventions, including any restrictions on expenditures from the grants or subventions, any reporting requirements imposed on the NRFF by each of the bodies or organizations that gave such grants or subventions to the NRFF.
6. The Nigerian authority or authorities which the NRFF informed of each of these grants or subventions and the dates on which such authority or authorities were informed of the receipt of the grant or subvention.
7. Provide us with copies of the relevant correspondence between these bodies or organizations communicating the award of each of these grants or subventions to the NRFF.
8. The exact amount paid annually by NRFF for the rented apartment used as secretariat at No 18 AyindeGiwa Street, Surulerein Lagos from the first payment to the latest payment, indicating the period covered by each payment.

Having issued the request on February 3, the 7 days stipulated period for response as provided by the Act begins to count, as counsels to Sports Intelligence Magazine await the feedback.

It will be recalled that Sports Intelligence had earlier published a story titled "What Next As Nigeria Rugby Federation Ordered To Vacate N5m Rented Apartment", with the story's effort to investigate Rugby hindered as a result of no access to the President of Rugby.