A group of football coaches has cried out to the Federal Government to come to the aid of Coach El Shammah Inusa, who is critically ill and hospitalised at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).
Coach Michael Jatau, who.spoke for the Group, made the call on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during a visit to the ailing Coach Shammah in the hospital.
Jatau of EFCC Football Club said: “Shammah is dieing under our helpless watch as the funds needed for his treatment is beyond our reach and that of the family.
“The first operation he had at Rayfield Medical Centre ran into half a million naira, aside the multiple dialysis at JUTH each at the cost of N60.000.00.
“He is to be operated upon for the second time.
“Coach Shammah has served this country in different capacities as a football coach to many football clubs at both Premier and National Leagues, including Jigawa Golden Stars, Nassarawa FC and EFCC FC.
“We are of the belief that if the Federal Government, through the sport minister will look toward his side and assist him, by God’s grace, he won’t die a premature dead.
“We are being owed monies of our service to the Nassarawa State Government amounting to N46. 4 million out of which N15 million belongs to Shammah, yet we can’t access the money because the case is still in court.”
NAN reports that the coaches, five in number, had dragged the Nassawawa state government and its Club, Nasssarawa FC, before the National Industrial Court sitting in Jos.
The coaches are: Evans Ogenyi, Sylvester Ekoja, Michael Jatau, Bala Nikyu and El Shammah Inusa.
Similarly, 12 players of the Nassarawa FC had also dragged the state government over N56 million unpaied salaries and allowances.
Justice Kenneth Amadi of the National Industrial Court (NIC) on April 16, 2018, ordered the Nassarawa State Government and the state-owned Nassarawa United FC, to pay N98 million to five coaches and 12 players, being their unpaid salaries and sign-on-fees.
The coaches and 12 players had separately sued the club and the state government over their failure to settle their entitlements since 2015.
They had differently served as Technical Advisers Assistant coach, Chief coach, Goal keeper trainer and Chief trainer before being laid off in 2015.