A member of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics gold medal winning squad ‘Dream Team’ Kingsley Obiekwu has revealed he uses his only car for commercial transport to sustain his family.
Obiekwu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Awka.
The 47-year-old played for Rangers International FC, Enugu Udoji United and Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands during his playing career.
Obiekwu, who currently coaches INGAS FC in Enugu, noted that things had not been rosy since he returned to Nigeria in 2008 and had to combine the coaching job with the commercial transport business to make ends meet.
He stated that his former employees owed him over N6 million cumulatively.
“Yes, I am a commercial transporter; there is nothing to hide about it. Man has to do what is legal to pay his family bills.
“I have four children at Enugu State University of Technology and my last child is in primary five.
“I have coached Rangers International FC, Ifeanyi Ubah FC, Delta Force FC, Asaba, Giant Brila and also Union Sportif, Krake, Republic of Benin. All of them owe me,” Obiekwu said.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which some employers owe their workers backlog of salaries in the country.
“I am disappointed with the setup in Nigeria. How can employers be owing you and nobody is saying or doing anything about it? It’s frustrating. Even my home state, Delta, has refused to pay me.
“I can’t steal; I can’t do fraud; I can’t do money rituals. So, I have to do what is legal and possible, for me to take care of my family.
“If I can get this N6 million, I won’t be in this mess.
“I also go to Lagos to bring in new cars for people and they pay me. You know in Nigeria, when you retire, there’s no pension, no gratuity.”
Obiekwu said that he was unable to secure an NPFL coaching job with the pro- licence certificate he obtained in UK “because they demanded CAF grade A or grade B certificate.”
He also expressed regret that some of the promises made to them after their victorious return from the Atlanta 1996 Olympics had yet to be fulfilled.
This, the veteran footballer said, included the plots of land promised by Delta and Niger governments.
It would be recalled that Obiekwu made eight appearance for the Super Eagles from 1996 to 1999.
He never made any appearance for Nigeria at the Atlanta Olympics.
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COMMENTS
Chai! I remember those days! the Atlanta ’96 team that gave us the real wing play beautiful football and still accompanied it with the trophy. And still they made no much fuss about it. But these Eguavon gave us somw wing play rubbish with a R16 crash.. And Dem no want let us hear word!! LMFAO!!
You really lack common sense.
I have said it before you ppl should leave @monkey post, the guy is just here having fun. If you like abusing him the guy would not just give a damn.
We arena can’t reason the same way.
Lol@monkey post!
Lmao @monkey post, rest! This comment made my day.
Monkey Post, you really don’t know anything about football. Nigeria did not win a trophy but medal at Atalanta’96 football event.
If u remember him in 1996 that means u no be small pikin again,so have some sense
“You really don’t know anything about football.”
I wouldn’t make such a statement. You mean Olympic Football Gold Medal is not equivalent to a trophy? wow
My brother @Raph help me ask that dummy..how he thinks that is not equal to a trophy baffles me.. anyway like father like son. LMFAO! The same way their own knows nothing about FIFA rule. LMFAO!!
LMFAO!!the last time I checked the meaning of trophy this was what I got: cup or other decorative object awarded as a prize for a victory or success. So? Hope I have schooled your lame ass! LMFAO!!
So fool! The gold medal hug around the neck is a decorative object! It can also be called a trophy.. the noun trophy doesn’t only apply to cup.. it is illiterate like you that fail to know that English is dynamic. It changes! So keep living in 1996.. LMFAO!!!
What is the post talking and what is this Monkey dude talking, bikonu? What’s the correlation? Not even single strain of empathy for grace to grass story in discourse? Must every news piece be turned to mischievous Eguavoen-bashing and sycophantic “general” rohr worship and clap traps? Hian!
LMFAO! I warned you all that nobody will have peace of mind in this forum once GENERAL ROAH is sacked and you fail to bring the trophy home. This is just the beginning! Wait until you guys fumbled against Ghana.. LMFAO!!
It’s people the keep replying under your post that I blame for given you unnecessary attention, if you remember very well I told you clearly that you just attention seeker because your comment usually lack logic.
LMFAO! This was someone that was all over my comments last month of which I snub his ass saying am seeking for attention. LMFAO! How can an attention himself, a brand like MONKEY POST be seeking for attention? LMFAO! you said my comments are illogical, But don’t you think it will be logically enough, scrolling pass, thereby defeating my aim of trying to seek for attention like you claim? LMFAO! Don’t you think allowing a person who makes illogical comments school you on ways to avoid one who seeks for attention, only ends up exposing you as an illogical being? LMFAO!
Trophy and medal is totally different. I wonder the kind of school you went to.
LMFAO! You mean after giving you the dictionary meaning Your foolishness couldn’t let you Know that the trophy Nigeria won at the Olympics was her gold medal.. LMFAO!!
Ode! The noun Trophy though mostly but it doesn’t only apply to cup alone. It can be a cup or any other decorative piece awarded to an individual for coming top.
And by the way the last time I checked I thought you were claiming south African. Don’t worry, Keep living a fake life.
Nigeria did not win a trophy. Nigeria only won a medal. Get that into your head.
trophy
/ˈtrəʊfi/
noun
a cup or other decorative object awarded as a prize for a victory or success.
synonyms: cup, medal, prize, award, laurels, bays, palm
(in ancient Greece or Rome) the weapons of a defeated army set up as a memorial of victory.
Get that into yours too..
You really want to convince them
Show them that you studied to thyself approved.
Lol
You need to learn the proper use of English. Your Godfather, Rohr is the best coach in the world. Someone who is not the same level with late Stephen Keshi, Westerhof, Jo Bonfrere, Philippe Troussier, Bora and so on.
Unbelievable that promises made to these guys in 1996 are yet to be fulfilled.
26 years after the fact! 26 years!!!
I remember in 1996, the then HEAD OF STATE, GEN SANI ABACHA gave the gold medalist Olympic team 1MILLION NAIRA plus an MON(Member of the order of the Niger) title. (One of the highest honour in the land).. and oboy in 96 1M was not a child’s play even if you give it to 100 people to share.
The problem now lies on the state level cos they made promises to them on their return. He should just approach the Delta State Government and am sure okowa a listening Governor will help out.. or I even pray Lagos State Governor who is a lover of sports reads this and helps out. Cos he recently gifted Patrick pascal and chioma Ajunwa houses.