Sports
Finidi Denies Receiving FG’s House Gift
Former Super Eagles winger, George Finidi, has denied receiving a three-bedroom flat allocated to each member of the 1994 African Cup of Nations winning squad prior to last Thursday’s announcement by the Federal Government, Tidesports source.
Finidi, who earned over 60 caps for Nigeria and featured at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, was listed among the six players who had previously got their houses before Presidential aide Garba Shehu announced the remaining house gifts to other members of the squad in a statement issued in Abuja last Thursday.
The players who were reportedly earlier given houses are Austin Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Nduka Ugbade, Edema Fuludu, Uche Okafor and Finidi.
Last Thursday, other members of the squad, namely Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorounmu, Uche Okechukwu, Samson Siasia, Efan Ekoku, Sunday Oliseh, Benedict Iroha, Isaac Semitoje, Mutiu Adepoju, Emmanuel Amuneke, Victor Ikpeba, and Austin Eguavoen, were allocated their own houses, with the late squad members Stephen Keshi, Uche Okafor, Rashidi Yekini, Thompson Oliha and Wilfred Agbonavbare also included.
But in a chat with Tidesports source, ex-Real Betis winger, Finidi denied receiving the house gift.
“They insisted that I had collected the house, which is not true. I don’t know how my name was included in the list of players who had received their houses from the Federal Government before now,” Finidi said.
“I did not get a house from the government and when I inquired, they said they gave a relative of mine that I’m not even aware of.
“They said I collected a house in Lugbe, Abuja; somebody has played a fast one on the ministry.
“Houses were allocated to Okocha and Amokachi and nobody got in touch with me to give me my Certificate of Occupancy. So someone else lives there now.
“This is a big fraud, that’s why I am speaking out now so they don’t leave me out when they are allocating houses to this next batch of players.
“It is not fair at all. I don’t know how to reach the minister to tell him my own position. If they actually gave the house out, that means someone has been making good use of my property for over 20 years and I’m not aware of it,” he added.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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