The Angry Nigeria athletes team rejected $100 daily allowance offered to them by the Ministry of Sports on Wednesday.
Few of the athletes, who spoke, said they were ready for a clash with the officials.
They insisted that having collected $150 as daily allowance at the last edition of the Games in Congo four years ago, they would not accept anything less from the ministry.
It was learnt that one of the judokas borrowed Judogis (judo kits) from his North African counterpart to fight.
“How can you borrow Judogis from your opponent,” said an angry Nigeria Judo Federation official.
A female athlete, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that the kits given to them were of very low quality.
“At the 2015 African Games in Congo, we got the best treatment, we were kitted very well with top-class outfits. We had a very good motivational reward system, which we finished the game as the second best team overall,” our source said.
Another athlete, who was also at the last Games in 2015, stated that their camp allowance of N3,000 was paid before leaving for Congo, while this year’s camp allowance was slashed to N1500.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that rather than work as a team in Rabat, sports ministry and the Nigeria Olympic Committee officials have engaged themselves in a power tussle.
“The ministry and NOC should stop this power play amongst them and work together. They are trying to outplay each other. The Permanent Secretary (sports ministry) is not here, and the woman that is supposed to be in charge can’t control them (officials),” a top member of Team Nigeria delegation, said.
BY: FIRDAUSI MUSA DANTSOHO
