How Mikel Obi paid $4,000 to save Dream Team VI from embarrassment in Brazil hotel

hehehe.....It has been revealed that Mikel John Obi, had to part with $4,000 of his personal money, to ensure that the Nigeria Olympic team did not miss their flight to Salvador. Players and officials of the Dream Team VI, were held to ransom in Sao Paulo, over unpaid bills incurred by additional officals.


Organizers of the Games, insisted on a team of 25 players – 18 players and seven officials.

A source confirms that it was the responsibility of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to offset the bills of the extra five officials.
“We just arrived Salvador now from Sao Paolo. We nearly missed our flight because of unpaid bills in the hotel. The hotel held us to ransom,” a team official told AfricanFootball.com
“The problem is that all the additional officials here in Brazil are the responsibility of the Nigeria Football Federation, who said they will pay for them, but they did not pay for them again.
“The affected officials included the team’s media officer, the team coordinator, the kits manager in charge of players and officials’ kits and the accompanying assistant director technical.

“A call was put across to the honourable minister of youths and sports, he said we should put the bill in the (credit) card but the card didn’t work. They tried and tried but the minister said that only 18 players and seven officials should be captured as regards payment according to the rules of the Olympic Games.
“So, the hotel bills of these other officials, about five of them cost the sum of over $4,000. They held us hostage for more than one hour and we nearly missed our flight. It was Mikel (Obi) who rescued us by paying the money.
“I can tell you honestly speaking that this incident is not the fault of the minister because the minister listed the people to be accommodated which were 18 players and seven officials.”

Nigeria’s U-23 team, have threatened to boycott their quarter-final clash against Denmark, if they are not paid the balance of their allowances. The Dream Team VI, who qualified as Group B winners, will face Group A runners-up Denmark in Salvador on Saturday by 8pm Nigerian time.
However, they might not show up for the match, if they don’t receive their monies.

John Mikel Obi reportedly paid $4000 to free the Olympic football squad after the team was held to ransom by hotel officials in Sao Paulo over bills incurred by additional NFF officials. The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has denied the report through a statement released on the Minister's official Facebook page and signed by Nneka Ikem-Anibeze, his Special Adviser on Media .The statement read;

The attention of the Ministry of Youth and Sports has again been drawn to the news that Team Nigeria's Captain John Mikel Obi paid hotel bills accruing from the 8 unaccredited players and officials in Rio with the National U-23 team.

According to the Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung, the chief coach of the team Samson Siasia in company of another official had come knocking on his door at about 4am Sao Paolo time. "Siasia was in my room early this morning and said the hotel security had refused to allow the team leave the hotel due to unpaid hotel bills. I also lodged in the same hotel with the Permanent Secretary and other members of the National Assembly who came to watch the match against Columbia. I told him to add the bill to the permanent Secretary's bill so that he can clear it alongside other bills. The amount incurred by the excess officials and players is $4,600. When we checked out of the hotel, the money was added and the Permanent Secretary paid all outstanding bills. I am surprised to hear and read that Mikel Obi saved an embarrassing situation by paying the bills" Dalung stated.

The Minister also restated that 8 unofficially accredited persons have been following the team since they left Atlanta including 4 players and 4 officials. The organizers of the games, the International Olympic Committee are only responsible for 25 accredited players and officials including feeding, flights and accommodation.

"In Manaus, we were forced to pay camp allowances to the extra 4 players making 29. As we speak now, the Nigeria Football Federation is the only federation that does not have a single board member on ground. Not even the Secretary-General is here. So, it is really unfortunate that this is happening. We have paid all players and other athletes their first 11 days in camp and the payment of the rest of the days will commence today( Friday). We want to plead with the players to shelve all actions capable of distracting them from their upcoming game on Saturday against Denmark and channel all grievances through the appropriate route. We remain committed to the welfare of all our athletes in camp as we look forward to giving them our unhindered support" Dalung reassured.

“The players said that their level of patriotism has already dwindled because of the way they have been treated by the government officials prior to the Olympic Games,” a source told AfricanFootball.
“Now they said they won’t step out to train until the remaining balance of their training and camp allowances are paid.
“Not only that, they have threatened not to play the quarter-final against Denmark on Saturday until all the monies owed them are paid.
“As we speak now, the only money that the players have received was the $150 dollars per day for 11 days, while there are more than that 11 days still to be paid and no extra money was received for the matches played so far.”