Follow Us on Google
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Former head coach of Nigeria’s Under 23 football team, who led Nigeria to win Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996, Bonfrere Jo, has asked the Senate to intervene in the alleged failure of Lagos State Government to allocate him a parcel of land that was promised in recognition of the win.
In a petition submitted yesterday through his lawyers, T. O. Adejoh & Company, Bonfrere urged the Senate, via the chairman of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, and copied to the Senate Committee on Sports, to summon Lagos State to a public hearing and explain why his allocation has not been released.
The petition asked the Senate to “investigate the circumstances surrounding the denial of our client’s allocation and ensure that justice is served,” and to “take necessary steps, including pressuring Lagos State Government to release or reallocate another befitting plot commensurate with the achievement of the team so that our client, after 29 years, gets justice.”
Bonfrere said he has not received the plot allotted to the coaching staff and players by the then Lagos State governor, Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, despite the land registry holding the documents.
Speaking after filing the petition, Bonfrere’s media aide, Eze Okechukwu, described the refusal as “persistent and blatant,” noting that every member of the squad except Bonfrere had received their allocations.
“What Bonfrere achieved for Nigeria remains unequalled. Which coach since then has matched that feat? In 1996 the players and coaching staff were each given land in Lekki; their documents are with the Lagos State Land Registry. Jay-Jay Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Taribo West, Nwankwo Kanu, Tijjani Babangida and Emmanuel Amuneke have all received theirs. So why has Bonfrere’s not been released? Who tampered with it? Those are the questions the state government must answer when they appear before the Senate,” Mr. Okechukwu said.
He appealed to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing him as a sports advocate, who understands the significance of global honours:“Senator Akpabio built the stadium in Uyo used by the national team; he loves sports and will do everything possible to secure justice for Bonfrere,” Okechukwu added.
Asked whether Bonfrere had attempted to resolve the matter directly with the current Lagos governor before approaching the Senate, Okechukwu said the coach had repeatedly tried ,but was “technically blocked” from seeing the governor. He recalled that Bonfrere had sought the assistance of the late Senator Ifeanyi Uba to facilitate a meeting, but his untimely death thwarted that effort.
“Twenty-nine years have passed since Governor Oyinlola gave out the land. Bonfrere has made repeated efforts to follow up without success. Governor San -wolu is a sports-loving man who may be surprised by this story; I believe he will look into the matter and help resolve it,” Mr. Okechukwu said.
