We Are Not Owing Shuaibu Amodu N25 Million – Edo Govt Says

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.