.As NFF plans to immortalise him

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)  President,  Amaju Pinnick,  yesterday led a delegation of some eminent persons in the country’s football to commiserate with the family of Nigeria legend Stephen Keshi, who died on Wednesday.
With Pinnick were Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Tony Okowa, chairmen of the Football Associations of Edo and Bayelsa states, Frank Ilaboya and Porbeni Ogun and renowned marketing consultant Mike Itemuagbor.
General Manager of NPFL club Warri Wolves, Moses Etu, former Super Eagles captain Austin Eguavoen and a number of ex –international players were also around to pay their condolence.
The delegation was received by late Keshi’s brother-in-law, Ricky Aburimen and cousin, Ebuka Ofuonye.
Pinnick delivered a condolence letter to the family, and reiterated that the NFF Board will soon meet to consider the most befitting way to immortalize the former Nigeria captain and coach.
“The good news about Keshi is that, even though he lived for 54 years, he lived a life that would be cherished for the rest of many people’s lives.
So on behalf of the Nigeria Football Federation, we want to commiserate with his family and we want to say that, even though his immediate constituency is his family, football is a larger constituency and the depth in which they want the Nigerian Football Federation to go, in terms of burial plans, is exactly what we are going to do.
“As I speak to you, I have gotten over 30 letters from 30 federation presidents. Everybody is pained and we are going to liaise with Ministry of Youths and Sports to see how Keshi can be immortalised, he needs to be immortalised,” Pannick said.
Responding, the elder brother of Keshi’s late wife, Mr. Richard ‎Aburimen, appreciated the NFF and the delegation from Edo and Delta States for condoling with the Keshi family.
He said the burial rites of the former Super Eagles coach would be announced soon.
“I would like to say at this point, on behalf of the Stephen Keshi family and the Keshi family, ‎a big thank you to the President of the Nigerian Football Federation for finding the time to ‎come here with his entourage.
“The Keshi family would at this time like to state categorically that funeral rites and all things pertaining to what will now happen to Stephen Keshi will be communicated very shortly to the larger world,” Aburimen said and thanked all for th‎e outpouring of love that has been coming from across the world to this family.