From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja
The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committee on Sports to liaise with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to ensure the immediate payment of the entitlements due to the families of late former Super Eagles coaches, Stephen Keshi and Amodu Shuaibu.
Keshi died on Tuesday, June 7, while Shuaibu died on Saturday June 11 in Benin City.
The House also observed a moment of silence in honour of the late coaches.
The mandate followed the adoption of a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance, on the death of the two former national team coaches, co- sponsored by Samuel Onuigbo (PDP-Abia) and Phillip Shaibu (APC-Edo).
Leading the debate on the motion, Onuigbo, urged the NFF to immediately pay the entitlements and other monies owed the late coaches.
He said it was unacceptable that Shuaibu who led the Super Eagles to a third place finish, twice at the African Cup of Nations was being owed salaries by the Edo State government as a director in its Youth Football Development Agency and the NFF where he served as Technical Director until his death.
“We don’t was a situation where people are worried about serving the nation over concerns on how they will be treated” he said.
On his part, Shaibu observed that the NFF had become accustomed to treating foreign coaches better than their Nigerian counterparts.
He expressed regret that even with laurels won by the senior national team under Keshi and Amodu, they weren’t given due recognition even as they were removed unceremoniously.
The lawmaker who called on NFF to retire Keshi’s Number 4 jersey to “show love and respect” to the former captain of the Super Eagles, equally sought at end to the crisis in the Glass House.
Contributing to the debate, Nkiru Onyejeocha (PDP-Abia) decried what she described as the culture of only recognising outstanding individuals when they pass on.
She also condemned what she said was the controversial circumstances which Keshi and Shaibu were sacked as managers of the national team.
“Nigeria should wake up and stop doing what will send our professionals to an early death”, she stressed.
The House presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, unanimously adopted the motion after it was put to a voice vote and it was referred to the Committee on Sports for further legislative action.
… Edo owes Amodu N25m
Last ditch efforts made by the late former coach of the Super Eagles, Shuaibu Amodu to recover the sum of N25 million owed him by the Edo State Government, has been revealed.
The amount which is made up of salaries, sign-on-fees and house rent is contained in a letter by Amodu to Governor Oshiomhole before he died last Saturday.
A cousin to the late Shuaibu, Akuli Afegbua, had said the former Super Eagles coach died of frustration, adding that Shuaibu was being owed by both Edo and federal governments.
He explained that Shuaibu’s presence in Benin the week he died was to pursue the payment of the money being owed him by the Edo State government.
In the letter, Shuaibu explained that he decided to write because of the governor’s refusal to meet or discuss with him despite efforts he made to reach the governor.
“Your general body language and attitude towards me in the last few months clearly indicates that there may have been some misconceptions and misrepresentations which you have not given me the opportunity to clear.
“Sir, I have made several efforts through telephone calls and text messages to you to enable me sort out any issues that may have been misconstrued, but to no avail. I also tried to reach you through your close subordinates, but got no response.
“The only option was to relinquish my appointment and walk away as I have always done in offices where I experienced similar treatment in the past. But this will amount to disrespect to your office and disregard to your care for me and my family when we most needed it.”
Shuaibu had in the letter, reminded the governor how he told him of similar appointment offered him by the government of Ondo state, the same time he was approached by him (Oshiomhole), but chose his home state instead.
He also recalled the support he got from the governor in terms of accommodation, transportation as well as the necessary financial backup which enabled him to settle down for business quickly and expressed his gratitude.
Shuaibu stated that the programme was however suspended in the face of hardship being faced by the coaches and players owing to non-payment of the said sum, just as he also expressed his frustration that his monthly salary was stopped with effect from June 2015 for no justifiable reasons.
“This brought hardship to me and my family. Thanks for the understanding and patience of my landlord; I would have been thrown out of my rented apartment for failure to pay my house rent in the last two years.
“I have come to the sad conclusion of taking the part of honour by respectfully resigning my appointment as consultant/technical adviser of Football development Programme in Edo.
“Although technically, my appointment seemed to have been terminated by the Accountant General by the stoppage of my monthly salaries since June 2015, this my official resignation takes a retrospective effect from September 30th, 2015,” Shuaibu further said in the letter.
When contacted, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua, confirmed the content of the letter, saying that at the time the State Government stopped the football academy in June 2015, it was unaware that certain bulk amount which government often release for the running of the Academy was still outstanding.
He added that Amodu resigned four months later after the State Government terminated the football programme, adding that it was the State Government that requested him to put the outstanding liabilities in writing for consideration and payment.