Nigeria not worth dying for –Eguavoen, Keshi’s son

Ex-international, Austin Eguavoen, has slammed the Federal Government for neglecting former Nigeria skipper and coach Stephen Keshi who was laid to rest in his village of Ilah in Delta State, Friday afternoon.

Keshi, 54, died on June 8 in Benin City.

“I am not shocked by the way the government has treated this event,” said a disappointed ex-Nigeria captain and teammate of Keshi, Austin Eguavoen.

“For instance, most of us have yet to get the houses the government promised us when we won the Nations Cup in 1994.
“You are only energised when you have been looked after.
“You now wonder if Nigeria is worth fighting for or even dying for.”

Keshi’s son Femi blasted the government for failing to honour a promise of a state funeral for his father.

“The federal government did not deliver on the promises they made to us as regards our father’s burial,” he said.

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Meanwhile, the remains of Keshi were finally laid to rest in his hometown Illah in Delta State amidst tears and wailing from everyone who attended the burial ceremony.

The funeral rites began with the lying-in-state of his body at his Illah home this morning, followed by a committal mass at St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church in the same town. He was then buried at 2 p.m., with a throng of friends and family members at the graveside to pay their last respects to the departed soccer hero.

The town was disappointed by the absence of significant functionaries of the Federal Government but the arrival of former Super Eagles captain, Kanu Nwankwo, sparked off excitement among the villagers whiĺe Austin Jay Jay Okocha (the current chairman of the Delta Football Association) was conspicuously missing at the burial.

Among members of the Super Eagles ’94 football team present at the burial were Peter Rufai, Uche Okechukwu, Austin Eguavoen, Aloy Agu, Mutiu Adepoju, Emeka Ezeugo, Victor Ikpeba, and Friday Ekpo.

Other ex-football stars at the burial included Taribo West and home based Eagles keeper, Chigozie Agbim.

Keshi made history in 2013, when he became only the second man after Mahmoud El Gohary of Egypt to win the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach.

‘Big Boss’ will also be remembered as the man who spared off the exodus of Nigerian players to Belgium in the mid-80s when he signed for Anderlecht.

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