By Daily Sports on June 26, 2017

Let me open this week by congratulating the Media Manager of El-Kanemi FC of Maiduguri, Prince Anthony Obaseki, on his well-deserved Award as the Best Media Manager of Nigeria Professional Football League 2017.

Daily Sports rejoice with him. Let me briefly tell you about the Benin Prince.

We worked together in National Daily where I edited the Sports pages; He was in charge of the League. He worked round the clock in every sense of it, and was always exceptional in his reports. He is workaholic personified. In his current position, he has brought the Maiduguri based club to the limelight by popularising its activities and by making himself available to his colleagues in the media. He trends NPFL results minute by minute from different centres when actions are on and makes them available in the social media for all to follow.

He never hoards information, hence there has never been any bad news around the team since Prince Obaseki took charge. It is safe to posit that he is married to his job. A dedicated professional and this recognition for an award is no surprise. Once again, our hearty congratulations my man!

It is instructive to note that the problem of venue of future home games of the Eagles, which came up shortly after their surprise defeat by Bafana Bafana of South Africa was promptly put to rest to allow the technical crew to finally settle down and plan well ahead for the crucial encounter against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun in the first leg of the 2018 World Cup qualifier in Uyo. The Nest of Champions venue was threatened but the players, crew and NFF leadership quickly resolved it and came out with a common stand that the defeat should not be attributed to the venue therefore, on Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, they stand.

It’s heartwarming that the debate never lingered on rather it was resolved and put behind without looking back. The focus is on the game and prayer that all the key players that nursed one kind of injury or the other would fully recover for the epic game against the desperate and frustrating Cameroonians.

At last, Kelechi Emetole died despite the spirited rally round by loving Nigerians to save his life. It was another sad event of last week. He battled to survive but the ailment that befell him insisted on claiming his life. We pray the family he left behind would bear the irreparable loss with great fortitude. Caterpillar, Rest in Peace!

As all these and more were on the front burner, another disheartening report came on Friday, June 23. I broke down and became low spirited even as this page was being put together. It set me thinking and asking nobody else, what this hellish world is all about. A place where there are lots of injustices, where man suddenly became prey to his fellow man, where the call to do good and upright falls on deaf ears as their victim (s) wriggle (s) in pains, where man’s inhumanity to his fellow man takes upper hand, roots and even if they cry to high heavens nobody cares a hoot.

Such naughty attitude that has become the norm and recurring decimal blows my mind. A  Daily Sports report on the attitude of the Oyo State owned Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) over their indebtedness to their slain player, Izu Joseph remains mind bugling. A couple of other newspapers ran the report, too.

I did not do much last Friday as it kept running through my mind, what has gone wrong with governments at all levels in the country. It could be safely attributed to the popular poetry, ‘Our Husbands Have Gone Mad Again’ syndrome. Come to think of it critically, my heart is thoroughly wringing as you are reading this report that may sound curious to you the reader but truth in all facets of the story.

A recap: Izu Joseph was brutally murdered in cold blood last year in his home state, Bayelsa allegedly by soldiers of the Nigerian Army. We cried blue murder. Human rights outfits and sundry called on the Nigerian Army, as supposedly responsible government organ to ensure the trigger happy fellow amongst them was fished out. But till today, there has been no clue. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has failed to keep faith with Nigerians on this senseless killing of a young promising Nigerian footballer who was carelessly shot.

The young family and aged father the bread winner left behind are left to their fate. Nobody cares to ask how they are faring. It has gone to show further, how hardened and insensitive Nigerians and their governments have become. The era where you readily find milk of human kindness amongst us is gone. As at the time of writing this, the family Izu Joseph left, are on daily basis, facing what is known as real suffering. No exaggeration whatsoever.

They seem hopeless. Nobody looks their side. They are on their own. To add salt to open wound, the Oyo State Government, led by Dr. Abiola Isiaka Ajimobi, owners of the football club where Izu Joseph played last, could not, out of human feelings provide money to 3SC management to off-set months long debt owed the late player. Governor Ajimobi could not at least out of sympathy, look at the young daughter, widow and aged father the late player left behind and do the needful. Shooting Stars FC does not have money to pay all the arrears of its players, dead and alive. Ajimobi is holding the knife and the yam, yet he has not released money for such. The players of the team are playing with empty stomach. The team is struggling to steer off relegation to the second tier of the league, NNL.

Oyo State Government is under-funding the activities of the club. To put it mildly, the side is being starved of funds from the beginning of the season till now the NPFL is on its home stretch. It has been the nightmare the players, crew and backroom staff have been experiencing.

Where do you start from? It is what has affected the payment of late Izu Joseph who meritoriously gave his all to the Oluyole Warriors. The state government has shamefully failed him. He will be turning in his grave now, wholly disappointed at the kind of inhuman treatment Gov. Ajimobi is giving his beloved daughter, wife and aged father.

It remains a scary human angle account as rendered by the late player’s brother. Nigerian leaders have long lost their innocence. Gov. Ajimobi should come in and break this deadlock. The onus is on him and Nigerians are keenly watching. The League Management Company (LMC) must not sit by and watch this ugly story trend further. The Players Union must come out forcefully and let this sadism by Ajimobi Government be dusted and Izu Joseph’s dependants paid his entitlements trapped in 3SC to the last kobo without any further delay. This is what the world and fans of the late player would like to hear and read in few days’ time

This is truly the shame of Ajumobi’s Oyo State. Reuben Izu told the heart contravention story as captured by Daily Sports and others.

3SC still owe late player Izu 8 months’ salary, 21 match bonuses

“The brother to late Joseph Izu, Reuben Izu, has said that the Management of Shooting Stars Sports Club has abandoned their late player's family and the wife with his accumulated financial entitlements still unpaid.
“Izu Joseph was shot dead in Okaki community in Rivers state on 16th October 2016 by men of the Nigerian Army who claimed he was found in the midst of cult members.
“Reuben, the elder brother of the late Joseph, revealed that his deceased brother is still being owed eight months’ salary and 21 match bonuses. ‘They initially promised to get back to us after the funeral, but they never did. Now it is 10 months and the management has not redeemed their pledge of sorting out his outstanding salaries and match bonuses,’ Reuben told Completesportsnigeria.com.
Reuben Izu also stated he would write to the League Management Company to seek redress for the family of his late brother who has been denied the late player’s entitlements.
Trust we will keep Oyo State government and 3SC management on their toes until this money is paid. Let discuss on this further on Twitter, WhatsApp, in share, Face book. Keep shooting hard, till next week!! 

Source Daily Sports

Posted June 26, 2017

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