The widow of former under-20 and under-23 national teams’ captain, Isaac Promise is under fire and pressure from the late soccer star’s family, over possession and inheritance of property he left behind, megasportsarena.com gathered.
The matter got to a thorny head during this week’s burial of the late footballer in Imo State, as feelers emerged about a disagreement between his siblings and his widow, Kate, which called for immediate intervention by community elders, stakeholders and other personalities.
This was revealed by NFF director of communications, Ademola Olajire, who disclosed in a press release that Promise’s siblings also earlier fell out with officials of the soccer governing body over sponsorship of the late footballer’s burial, mas they wanted full payment by The Glasshouse, which he said was not possible due to the body’s tight financial condition.
He further disclosed that the NFF president, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, was also in contact with Imo State Sports Commission chairman, Fan Ndubuoke and Imo State Football Association chairman, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam to help make peace in the late player’s family as the siblings were at daggers drawn with his wife and children.
The NFF spokesman, however, admitted that top shots of The Glasshouse had a disagreement with Promise’s family over funding of the star’s burial, as he recounted how the siblings made a request for full sponsorship by the soccer body, who he said cannot meet up with that demand.
He reiterated that the NFF have always and will continue to show concern on issues that affect Nigerian players, active, retired or departed, hence his declaration that they have played a key part in assisting Promise’s immediate family, without recourse to noise and grandstanding.
The spokesman further insinuated that the source of critical comments from the media about perceived non-involvement by the NFF in the late player’s burial was due to assumed information not facts, as he reiterated adequate support from the soccer house to the widow and the family at large.
While adding that the NFF top brass even plan on handing some money of the Mrs Kate Promise in the coming days, he affirmed that they still hold in high esteem a Nigerian hero, who captain the country’s youth squads to two finals, in which they lost both to Argentina, 2-1 at Holland 2005 World Youth Championship (WYC) and 1-0 at Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Olajire added: “The NFF has been in regular contact with, and has offered support to late Isaac Promise’s wife and children. When the player died in the United States of America, the NFF immediately contacted the club and we were assured of the responsibilities of the club, which included flying his remains to Nigeria.
“However, some of his siblings out rightly expected the NFF to foot the entire bill of his burial, which we told them was not possible. The NFF offered to foot part of the bill for the burial but from that moment, they were not happy with the Federation.
“We know what we have done and still ready to do for the immediate family without joining in the debate going on in sections of the media. The NFF President has approved a sum of money to be paid to the immediate family and that money will be sent to his wife in the next few days.”
