Governor Adams of Edo State Denied Oweing Late Amodu Shaibu N25 Million

Adams Oshiomole, Edo State Governor

Nigeria News Update on Naija365blog.com
The Premium Times reveals that the Edo State Government has denied reports that it owed late Super Eagles Coach, Amodu Shaibu, N25 million.

Amodu died Saturday in his sleep.

He was formerly hired by the Edo government as consultant/technical adviser of Edo State Football Development Programme, a Football Academy established by the government to groom local talents.

A statement by Peter Okhiria, chief press secretary to the governor on Wednesday said contrary to the reports, Amodu was duly paid while his contract was running and was even paid when the contract expired before it was finally stopped due to dwindling finances of the state.

“Amodu Shuaibu 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,” part of the statement stated.

It continued: “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 Shuaibu 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.”

Mr. Okhiria said Amodu 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.

The statement said on Wednesday, June 2016, two days before his death, Amodu submitted a letter to the Secretary to Edo State Government, dated same day, claiming unpaid salaries for four months, totaling N8 million.

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.”

Mr. Okhiria stated that although the late Amodu’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, Adams Oshiomhole, however, approved his claim for N8 million, purely on compassionate grounds.