Coach Izilien, Assistants Owed N8.3million Seven Years AfterAS Nigerians celebrate the country's 51st Independence anniversary today, one man who has washed his hands off the party is Super Falcons former coach, Godwin Izilien.Coach Izilien is neither hospitalized nor being prosecuted by the Police, but the Edo State-born football tactician is angry over what he described as 'deliberate wickedness' on the part of officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).According to him, the NFF officials have refused to pay his wages amounting to millions of naira, seven years after leading the Falcons to win the 2004 edition of the African Women Championship (AWC) title in Johannesburg, South Africa.For Izilien, washing his hands off the Independence Day celebration is his little way of protesting 'the bad leadership, deceit, selfishness and greed of top officials of the NFF.He declared that the untruthfulness and deliberate wickedness of NFF officials was militating against the growth of football in the country, saying: 'The NFF killed my joy of celebrating Nigeria's Independence long ago and I don't see any reason to be part of this one (51st anniversary) because even the Presidency seems not interested in addressing my issue.'Recently, the Arch Bishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria in Ogun State, Most Rev. Luke Odubanjo, also said that Nigeria, the largest black nation in Africa, was celebrating its 51 years of independence in poverty, insecurity and unemployment.For coach Izilien, the leadership of the NFF are responsible for the poor living condition and untimely death of many Nigerian coaches, saying: 'Their deceits have turned a majority of us to mere big names with empty pockets. So many Nigerian coaches are dying in silence despite leading the national teams to competitions at one time or the other.'The pathetic story of Coach Izilien began in 2004, when he led the Falcons with relatively new players to Johannesburg, South Africa, to capture the Africa Women Championship (AWC) title, beating a stubborn Lioness of Cameroun in a dramatic final.Champions have many friends and associates, and so, Izilien and the girls returned home to a heroic welcome with officials of the NFF, Sports Ministry and the Presidency rolling out the red carpet in celebration.However, in Johannesburg, the players had held on to the trophy, refusing to return home in protest of non-payment of the camp allowance and winning bonuses. But when they eventually returned to Nigeria, their success story over- shadowed the protest.Izilien and his girls became the talk of the town for several weeks, as many football faithful saw the girls' victory in Johannesburg as consolation for the country after their male counterparts, the Super Eagles, failed in that year's edition of the Africa Nations Cup in Tunisia.A presidential reception was organised for the girls in Abuja, where former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in his characteristic manner of adding glamour to every occasions, danced and wined with Izilien, his assistant coaches, accompanying NFF officials and the players.The Obasanjo regime introduced many things to the nation's sports. First, he started with scholarship and handshakes for victorious athletes and officials in his first tenure, but later danced to the tune of the athletes, who preferred cash rewards.The victory of coach Izilien and his Falcons came at the time of cash reward by the Obasanjo regime, and so, the girls left the venue of the reception in Abuja rejoicing. They smiled to their various banks the next morning after picking 'fat' cheques from the NFF secretariat.But for Izilien and his assistant coaches, the story was different.According to the coach, the NFF turned what was supposed to be his moment of joy into sadness and since then, he has been calling aloud to those who care to listen to come to his rescue.He narrated his story to The Guardian during the week: 'The NFF is indebted to us is a total sum of $28,750. From this amount, the NFF owes me, as the head coach, $12,000, while Mrs. Lizzy Ogiemonwoyi (Assistant coach), is being owed $8,000. The team's Welfare Officer, Ann Agumanu-Chiejine, is being owed $7,750.Izilien added: 'During the presidential reception, each of the players was given N1million and as the head coach, mine was double. As we speak, my N2million, in addition to the camp allowances and winning bonuses have not been paid by the NFF. My assistant coaches (Ogiemonwoyi and Chiejine) were supposed to get N1million each, but they too have not been paid.'My players got all their entitlement almost immediately, but here I am languishing in poverty. So, tell me why I should be a happy man celebrating Nigeria's 51st Independence Day'' he queried.Coach Izilien was pushed aside from the Falcons job long ago and at a point, he engaged the services of some lawyers to help press for his wages from the soccer house. It was to no avail.In the midst of his battle for his money, kidnappers struck at his home in Benin, abducting his fourth son, Kelly.'The kidnappers thought I made so much money when I led the Falcons to win the AWC title in South Africa. They called me on phone asking for a huge amount of money for my son to be released. I cried like a baby through the night pleading with them (kidnappers) that the NFF refused to pay me. They said I was lying and insisted that they must get their share of the AWC allowance and match bonuses. One of them asked: 'How come the players got N1million each during the handshake with OBJ and you didn't get' If you don't act fast, we will kill your son.''It was as if the whole world was turning against me. How can I serve my country with all my heart only to be paid back this way' To cut the story short, I sold my car at a give-away price to raise some money. It was not enough. I sold some other personal belongings and family properties while some few friends came to my aid. The NFF officials knew all these, but they simply turned deaf ears to my several pleas for my money to be released.'You can see the reason why I said that the NFF has killed my joy. Nigeria will be 51 this week, but to me, there is nothing to celebrate as a coach. I served the national teams (Super Falcons and Golden Eaglets) at various times. I have contributed so much to the growth of football in this country by discovering so many players at various times. I deserved good treatment as a coach. They should pay my money. In any government setting, the in-coming board inherits both assest and liabilities. So, the Aminu Maigari-led NFF should pay me.To coach Izilien, the gods of soccer will continue to hurt the NFF until the body pays his wages: 'I am not praying for bad things to happen to the Falcons because they are not the cause of the problem. But not until the NFF pays my money, there will be no peace in the house. It is my sweat and they have to pay me. We have a president, who has a listening ear. He should intervene in this matter. It is an appeal,' Izilien stated.It would be recalled that one of Nigeria's female national teams coaches, who is still serving in the present NFF administration, broke his silence last weekend, saying that he was dying in silence in the hands of his employer, (the NFF).The coach, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the Aminu Maigari-led NFF owes him 18-months' salaries from January 2010 till date, adding that the body was not making any effort to settle the debt. He disclosed that his contract with the NFF would expire in December 2011 (this year), saying: 'You won't believe me that since January 2010 till date, I have not been paid a kobo from my monthly salary. It is killing me silently because I can't pay school fees for my children not to talk of assisting my younger ones. The NFF has that bad habit of not paying female coaches. I can't understand why they are treating female coaches that way.'It was also learnt during the week that Super Eagles former coach, Shuaibu Amodu, is still being owed millions of naira after qualifying the country for the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup.Contacted on phone yesterday, NFF Acting Secretary, Musa Amadu, said he had no knowledge of such huge debt being owed coach Izilien, saying: 'I know coach Izilien very well, but I am not aware if the NFF is owing him since 2004.'In the first place, we were not the people in charge of the FA in 2004, but if Izilien is sure of what he is saying, I expected him to write to us so that we can cross check.When The Guardian reminded him of the alleged legal step taken by coach Izilien some times ago, Amadu said: 'I still don't know anything about it. We are talking of seven years ago. Tell him to write to us.
Click here to read full news..
