The remaining members of the victorious squad
who have yet to be given houses have called on the
government to fulfil its promises to the squad
By Sam Ade Oguns
Aug 6, 2013 9:51:00 AM
Stand-in captain of the
victorious squad of the
Tunisia 1994 Africa Cup of
Nations, Austin Eguavoen
led three other prominent
members of the team to the
office of the Sports Minister,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on Monday to discuss the
house pledge the late General Sani Abacha
promised them which is yet to be redeemed.
Eguavoen was in company of Samson Siasia, Victor
Ikpeba and Ben Iroha on behalf of the other
aggrieved members to see the minister and begged
him to intervene on the players’ behalf for the
Federal Government to redeem its pledge.
Eguavoen in his address to the Minister stated that
"It is not our doing that the 1994 squad actually
changed the face of Nigerian football. 1980 squad,
you cannot just put them aside too, they did it
before us, they won the Nations cup right here in
Nigeria led by Christian Chukwu and then we
followed the same feat in 1994 outside Nigeria that
was what makes it a little bit different. And we
thank God the present squad won the 2013 as well,
it is a record.
"Sir you know records don’t lie. The past president,
the present president, sports administrators; when
any of our team does well, male or female they
show appreciation. Sani Abacha also suit after
Shagari did his own in 1980 by promising largess
including houses.
"We are a discipline side; we did not make noise
about it. After all these years, even some journalist
kept asking us, what about your houses? We are
patient believing that somehow some day that
pledge will still be redeemed. But the difference is
that a couple of us got their own houses, it’s not
their fault neither is it our own fault, because it was
a matter of choice. You could chose in any location
where you want your own house.
"Majority of us chose Lagos and some chose Abuja.
I think Finidi George chose Port Harcourt. So the
guys that chose Abuja got their houses. It was
approved actually, but for our own in Lagos, we
went there couple of times but for some reasons we
could not get them. But we are still hopeful that
some day we will get it.
"And I remember two years ago, the president of
Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Journathan had a meeting
with different industries and luckily I had to speak
on behalf of sports men and women and I reminded
our president. At that point in time we had just lost
Uche Okafor and Rashidi [Yekini] is gone and lately
Thompson Oliha. And then one of the words that I
used on that day was that now Rashidi is gone,
Okafor is gone, the kids are supposed to be the
beneficiaries of these properties. And I think the
President ordered somebody to follow up, but to an
extent nothing worked.
“If our sports men and women today see that
government pledges something and it is not
redeemed, definitely a lot of them might have a
second thought. I think it is only wise that you use
your good office to try; though we are still
appealing because it is not a right because we are
more than thousands of sports men and women in
this country, it is a privilege. Having announced it I
think there should be a follow up," Eguavoen stated.

http://m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/4168333

**.......the labour of our heroes past
shall never be in vain......**


Congrats oooooo!!!? Im really happy for them!
24 hrs electricity in Anambra;
CONTEDISS 15;
and now remunerating our football heroes!

#GejAllTheWayCome2015!!!