The Edo State Government has denied
owing the late former Chief Coach of the
Super Eagles of Nigeria, Shuaibu Amodu,
N25 million.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press
Secretary to the Governor, Peter Okhiria, on
Wednesday, the government described as
totally false and misleading reports that the
state government owed the late Amodu
Shuaibu N25 million.
The Edo government also described as
patently false the contents of a letter in
circulation purported written by the late
Shuaibu Amodu, adding that the letter
contained claims that have no bearing with
the financial transactions of Edo State
Government.
”All workers, from lowest to the highest
paid, including Committee Members are
enrolled in our Oracle-based payment
system and we do not owe anyone,” Okhiria
stated.
Here is the full statement issued by the
Edo government on the matter:
Amodu Shaibu: Our Story – Edo Govt
The attention of Edo State Government has
been drawn to a report in the newspapers
and on several online platforms to the effect
that the State Government owed Mr. Amodu
Shaibu, the Technical Director of the
Nigerian Football Federation, who died in
the night Friday, June 10, to the tune of N25
million.
Let us state from the onset that his death is
a huge loss to Edo State and Nigeria. We are
certain that no one can fill the void of the
shoes left behind by Coach Shaibu. He was
not just a proud Edo son but also a perfect
gentleman, community leader among other
callings.
This is why he was invited to work with our
young footballers after he was
unceremoniously relieved of his
appointment as Coach having qualified
Nigeria for the World Cup. We remain
deeply pained by his very sudden and
untimely death.
The facts:
The late Amodu Shaibu worked with the
State Government, on a fixed-term contract
basis, as Consultant/Technical Adviser of
Edo State Football Development Programme,
a Football Academy established by the State
Government to tap the talents of Edo youths
and turn them into world stars.
In deference to his pedigree, and having
informed the Governor of how he was
shabbily treated by the Nigerian Football
Federation after the World Cup qualification
he helped secure for the nation, and also
admitting that the new job to manage the
State’s Football Academy had lesser
attraction than the National team Coach job
he had, Amodu Shaibu was placed on a
monthly salary of N2 million, which is
hundred per cent better than what he was
earning as Coach of the National Football
team, and also making him the highest paid
official of the Edo State Government.
The said fixed-term contract was however
not renewed on expiration based on the
dwindling revenues and the necessary cuts
in government spending.
It is basic that a fixed-term contract ends
automatically when the agreed end date is
reached and the employer doesn’t have to
give any notice. This means that a fixed-
term contract is deemed terminated if not
renewed.
In spite of the fact that the said contract
was not renewed, the late Amodu Shaibu
continued to draw his monthly wage of N2
million until it was stopped by the Office of
the Accountant General in June, 2015,
following the discovery after a staff
biometric verification exercise.
The late Amodu Shaibu thereafter tendered
his ‘letter of resignation’, in September
2015, even when the said contract was not
renewed and had been deemed terminated,
following its non-renewal.
However, on Wednesday, 8th June 2016,
two days before his unfortunate death, the
late Shaibu submitted a letter to the
Secretary to Edo State Government, dated
same day, claiming unpaid salaries for four
months, totaling N8 million only.
In the said letter entitled: “Resignation of
Appointment as Consultant/Technical
Adviser. Re: Request for Payment of
Outstanding Salaries”, Amodu Shaibu
stated, inter alia:
“May I respectfully recall that I resigned my
appointment as Consultant/Technical
Adviser of Football Development in Edo
State with effect from 30th September, 2015.
The Resignation was as a result of my
appointment as Technical Director of the
Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). The
Governor graciously approved this
resignation with effect from 30th September
2015.
“I humbly wish to inform the Governor that
my monthly salary was stopped by the
Accountant-General with effect from June
2015. As a result, I was not paid for the
month of June, July, August and September,
2015. The reason the Accountant-General
gave for withholding my salary for the
period was that he expected the approval of
the Governor extending my contract for the
next year. Since I have resigned my
appointment, there is no need now for such
approval.
“However, this letter is predicated on the
need for the Accountant-General to pay my
outstanding salaries for the period of June-
September 2015. As a result, therefore, I
humbly wish to request the Governor to
kindly consider and approve the payment of
my outstanding salaries for the period
indicated above.”
Although the late Shaibu’s contract had long
expired even before his ‘Resignation Letter’
which ‘took effect’ from September 30, 2015,
and even though Edo State Government did
not owe him unpaid wages as the contract
was not renewed, the State Governor,
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, however,
approved his claim for N8 million, purely on
compassionate grounds.
It is therefore totally false and misleading
that the State Government owed the late
Amodu Shaibu the sum of N25 million. We,
therefore, make bold to state that the
contents of a letter in circulation,
purportedly written by the late Shaibu
Amodu, is patently false. The letter contains
claims that have no bearing with the
financial transactions of Edo State
Government. All workers, from lowest to the
highest paid, including Committee Members
are enrolled in our Oracle-based payment
system and we do not owe anyone.
While we still mourn the unfortunate
demise of this great Edo son and Nigerian,
whose death has left a deep hole in our
hearts and who contributed immensely to
Sports development in Edo State, this
clarification has become necessary to put an
end to the misinformation and outright
falsehood being peddled by political hawks
who want to benefit from Amodu Shaibu’s
death by portraying the State Government
in bad light.
It is unfortunate and sad that while Edolites
and Nigerians are still mourning this great
icon, mischief makers have gone to town to
reap from his death by crying more than
the bereaved.
Even in death, Amodu Shaibu has our
respect, commendation and solidarity.
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