Thompson Oliha’s widow says she is waiting for the government’s plan as regards her husband’s burial arrangement.
The wife of late Thompson Oliha, Iris, said her husband wished to live in the house that was promised to the Super Eagles team that won the African Nations Cup in 1994.
“The only thing that my husband did not live to witness was the house that the Federal Government promised the winning 1994 class of the Super Eagles.
“He repeatedly asked questions on what was causing the delay in fulfilling the promise. He said his colleagues, Uche Okafor and Rashidi Yekini, died without the promise being fulfilled.
“He did say that he doesn’t want to die before the Federal Government fulfills the promise. But, has it not happened now? This is highly unfortunate,” she said.
The Federal Government had in 1994 promised each player in the Super Eagles squad that won the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia a house.
The mother of one, however, denied the rumour that the former Super Eagles star had long been sick, saying he never complained of any ailment.
She said: “We had our normal discussion because we did discuss a lot. He even went to work yesterday because they played a match.
“He came back to take his shower. On Wednesday, they also went to Ibadan to play a match with the 3SC.
“So, if he was sick, how would he have gone to Ibadan?”
Her late husband, she said, had the utmost wish to assist Nigerian footballers manage their wealth in the belief that there was always life after a football career.
She also said that no burial arrangement had been made yet for the deceased, noting that the family was awaiting government’s plan. The widow also said that the family had not received any message from either the government or his 1994 Eagles mates.
Oliha died in Ilorin in the early hours of Sunday at the age of 45. He was survived by his wife, aged mother, Alice Oliha, and a four-year-old daughter, Patrice.
Until his death, Oliha was a coach with the Kwara Football Academy in Ilorin.
(NAN)
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