Why I Went Into Commercial Transport — Obiekwu, Atlanta ’96 Football Star
Kingsley Obiekwu, a member of Atlanta ’96 Olympics Nigerian Golden Dream Team says he now uses his only car for commercial transport business.
Obiekwu, Member of the Order of Niger (MON) said this in an interview with journalists in Awka on Tuesday.
The veteran who played for Rangers International of Enugu and Udoji United in his heyday said he went into the transport business to sustain his family in view of the hardship he was going through.
The defense player noted that since he returned to Nigeria in 2008, life had not been easy for him and his family in spite of all he had done to improve the country’s football sector.
He said though he was currently working with INGAS FC, Enugu as coach, he had to combine it with commercial transport business in order to sustain his family, regretting that his former employees were owing him over N6 million cumulatively.
According to him, 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, Delta Force FC, Asaba, Giant Brila and also Union Sportif, Krake in Benin Republic, all these clubs are owing me.
“I am disappointed with the setup in Nigeria, how can employers be owning you and nobody is saying or doing anything about it? It’s frustrating, even my home state, Delta, 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, no pension, no gratuity,” he said.
Obiekwu said he has not been able to secure an NPFL coaching job with his Pro- License certificate he obtained in the United Kingdom because they demand CAF A or CAF B certificate.
He said some of the promises made to them after their victorious return from Atlanta 26 years ago were yet to be returned including the land promised by Delta and Niger State government.
Obiekwu said the MON honour conferred on him had not given him any advantage on the road as security personnel dismissed his identification card and explanation that he played for Super Eagles in the past.
“I am still wondering the meaning of MON honour when Policemen don’t take it seriously, when I tell them that I competed for this country as Super Eagles player, they will tell me it is not their business.
“Only the Army and Customs salute that honour, as a national honouree, I have no honour before these security agencies.
“Delta State government is yet to allocate the they promised those of us from the state after Atlanta ’96 and Niger State said the land has been revoked when I visited there three years ago,” he said.
