Taribo West: Ex-Footballers are dying of starvation

Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West has accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Federal Government of failing to alleviate the plights of some ex-footballers in the country.

In an interview with Punch Newspaper, the former Auxerre and Inter Milan defender stated how he had to foot the bills of some ex-internationals who could hardly feed for a day.

“It has come to a point that I need to speak out. There are people in top positions, who are supposed to manage football that are extorting money from our league. Are ex-internationals or footballers not supposed to bring in their experience to bear on the league? But they won’t allow it. In the last three years, there is accumulated money from FIFPro for Nigerian footballers but there are some ex-footballers who are working to divert this money.”

“There are a lot of ex-internationals dying, those alive have no jobs and the government is not looking that way. The FA is not even concerned about their welfare or that of their families. Do you know how many ex-internationals call me in a month to ask for money to feed? Sometimes I ask myself if I’m a Central Bank. It’s true.”

“If you check my phone, it’s filled with their account numbers of. Ex-footballers know all these but they are afraid to talk. But I will talk because we need to close the doors that these people are using to extort money from our football and footballers. I’ve not been living or feeding on their money.”