3rd November, 2011
Sacked Super Eagles’ coach, Samson Siasia is demanding the sum of N1 billion from his former employer, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for wrongful termination of his contract.
Reports monitored on Brila FM in Lagos early today says the former Nigerian international who failed to qualify Nigeria for the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in January has dragged the NFF to an Abuja high court for sacking him without fulfilling some parts of his appointment contract. He said he wants N1billion as compensation for breach of contract.
Siasia said he was not given a 30-day notice prior to his dismissal as stipulated in his contract before the NFF went ahead to sack him despite owing him two months’ salary. He claimed that the NFF failed to secure a free and furnished accommodation in Abuja for him and he was also not given a fitness trainer as contained in his contract.
The NFF is, however, unperturbed by the action of the 44-year-old Siasia, who was given a four-year contract with a condition to qualify the Eagles for at least the semi-finals of the 2012 Nations Cup.
President of the federation, Aminu Maigari, said the NFF has received the ‘originating summons’ from Siasia’s lawyers, adding that the football authority is ready to confront the sacked coach in the law court. Media Officer of the NFF, Ademola Olajire, said the board has directed the legal department to begin work on the summons to enable the NFF prepare for the hearings.
Meanwhile, former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association, Alhaji Sani Toro, has condemned Siasia’s move to take his former employer to court.
Toro argued that the coach should have found another way of seeking redress other than resorting to the law court.
The former member of the House of Representatives opined that the issue must be properly handled by the NFF and settled out of court as soon as possible because of the series of court cases the football authority is currently facing.