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.
