The Nigeria Football Federation has placed the mothers of late
ex-internationals, Sam Okwaraji and Rashidi Yekini on N30K monthly
stipend.
The announcement was made on Thursday after the Federal Ministry of
Youths and Sports Development had on Wednesday placed both matriarchs on
N10K monthly stipend.
The NFF also disclosed that they will henceforth review the situation
of surviving mothers of Nigeria’s ex-internationals that died in active
service for the country and resolve what to do for them on a monthly
basis.
NFF tweeted, “In furtherance to and in appreciation of the recent
pronouncement of the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, to put the mothers
of the two late ex-internationals Sam Okwaraji and Rashidi Yekini on a
monthly stipend on a monthly stipend.”
“The NFF has decided to support this noble initiative with a further monthly stipend of N30,000 to each of the two matriarchs.”
“In addition, the NFF will henceforth review the situation of
surviving mothers of our ex-internationals that died in active service
for the country and resolve what to do for them on monthly basis.”
Rashidi Yekini died in May 2012 after retiring from football in 2006.
His professional career, which spanned more than two decades, was
mainly associated with Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal, but he also
played in six other countries besides his own.
Yekini scored 37 goals as a Nigerian international, and represented
the nation in five major tournaments, including two World Cups where he
scored the country’s first-ever goal in the competition. He was also
named the African Footballer of the Year in 1993.
Samuel Okwaraji, who played internationally for Nigeria, collapsed
and died of congestive heart failure in the 77th minute of a World Cup
qualification match against Angola at the Lagos National Stadium in
Surulere, Lagos State on 12 August 1989.
