Sports Vanguard gathered that the issue was contained in the last letter written by the late Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a letter he addressed to Governor Adams Oshiomhole dated October 2015.
It would be recalled that a cousin to the late soccer tactician, Nkuri Afegbua, had said the former Super Eagles coach died of frustration. Reacting yesterday, Chief Press Secretary to Edo Governor, Peter Okhiria acknowledged that late Amodu submitted a memo for claims to the office of the Secretary to the State Government but noted that it was not up to N25 million. ‘’The memo was being attended to before he died.
I don’t know the exact amount but it ‘s not up to N25 million’’, Okhiria insisted. Afegbua, who granted interview to journalists at the Stella Obasanjo hospital mortuary where the remains of the late coach were kept before being moved to his home town of Okpella, for burial, said Amodu was being owed by both the Edo and Federal governments.
Afegbua said Amodu was in Benin over money owed him by the Edo State government. According to Amodu’s letter, the amount owed him included, N1million for outstanding sign-on-fees for 2013/2014, for consultant/technical adviser, N3 million, for House rent for two years (2012-2014 and 2013-2014) at N1.5m per year while the balance of N16million was for the payment for the coaches and other support staff for the period of August 2014 – July 2015.
The decision of late Amodu to write the letter was based on the alleged governor’s refusal to meet or discuss with him in spite of various entreaties he made to the governor in the past. According to the letter, “Your general body language and attitude towards me in the last few months clearly indicate that there may have been some misconceptions/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 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.”
Amodu had reminded the governor how he told him of similar appointment being offered him by the Government of Ondo state, the same time he was approached by him, but chose to serve 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. He said the programme was however, suspended in the face of hardship being faced by the coaches and players owing to none payment of their emoluments.
He also expressed his frustration that his monthly salaries were 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 seems to have been terminated by the Accountant General by the stoppage of my monthly salaries since June 2015, this official resignation takes a retrospective effect from September 30th, 2015,” he stated in the letter. It would be recalled that the late Super Eagles coach died in his sleep on Saturday, June 11, 2016.
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