Before his death last week, Edo State government owed former Super Eagles Coach, Amodu Shuaibu, N25 million in salaries, sign-on fees and house rent.
Shuaibu was so pained that he wrote a letter to Governor Adams Oshiomhole in October 2015, begging him to do everything within his powers to ensure that the money was paid.
Till he died, he never received the money.
It would be recalled that Shuaibu’s cousin, Nkuri Afegbua, had said that the former coach died of frustration.
Afegbua who granted interview to Journalists at the Stella Obasanjo hospital mortuary where the remains of the former football tactician was kept before his movement to his hometown of Okpella, for burial, said Shuaibu was being owed by both Edo and federal governments.
Afegbua said Shuaibu’s presence in Benin the week he died was to pursue the payment of the money being owed him by the government of Edo State.
According to the letter by Shuaibu, the amount being owed him includes N6 million for outstanding sing-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.
The balance is N16 million, representing payment for coaches and other supporting staff for the period of August 2014 – July 2015.
It was gathered that Shuaibu’s decision to write the letter was based on the governor’s refusal to meet or discuss with him in spite of various entreaties he made.
“Your general body language and attitude towards me in the last few months clearly indicates 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 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.”
In the letter, Shuaibu 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 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.
He said the programme was, however, suspended in the face of hardship being faced by coaches and players, owing to none payment of the sum.
Shuaibu 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 practice 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 my official resignation takes a retrospective effect from September 30th, 2015,” Shuaibu stated in the letter.
