Henry Nwosu Down with Stroke, Needs Help
Duro Ikhazuagbe
The youngest member of Nigeria’s 1980 AFCON winning Green Eagles, Henry Nwosu, is down with stroke and urgently in need of medical care.
The mercurial midfielder who played for Nigeria’s senior national team for 11 years was also part of the Green Eagles at AFCON 1982, 1984 and 1988. He retired from international duties for Eagles in 1991 and went into coaching.
Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) Task Force, Harrison Jalla drew attention to Nwosu’s condition in a social media post yesterday afternoon.
Jalla insisted that Nigerians need to come to the aid of the ex international player and coach so that he may stand the chance of overcoming the ailment that has now confined him to bed.
“Nwosu who meritoriously served Nigeria in the 1980s and 1990s is down with an ailment that requires urgent medical attention,” began Jalla.
“This writer just got off the phone this morning with Nwosu whose speech is already slurred. The situation requires urgent medical attention,” revealed the PFAN chieftain.
He pleaded with sports stakeholders to rally round Nwosu in this his hour of need. “This is a clarion call to the NFF, the Hon. Minister of Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, the government of Imo State and all Nigerians of goodwill to rally round Nwosu to save his life.”
He recalled how Henry Nwosu was a delight to watch in his days at defunct NNB, ACB, Iwuanyanwu Nationale and the Super Eagles.
“Henry Nwosu is a leaving legend. This is one of the reasons why the PFAN must get its proper representations in NFF, with its Collective Bargaining agreement in place to run its welfare programmes for current and retired footballers as an independent organisation,” he concluded in apparent reference to the battle the umbrella body for professional footballers in the country have been having with the leadership of past NFF boards.
Sadly, PFAN as the leading players union in Nigeria lacks the same type of organisation that makes such bodies stand out on welfare of past and present footballers.
Most of Nigerian ex internationals that played in The Netherlands for instance, have been enjoying the welfare package in place there. While they were active, a percentage of their earnings went into retirement saving plans that ensured that they have something to fall back on when they are no longer active.
Despite Nigerian pretense over playing professional football for over 30 years, there is hardly any club that can boast of a welfare policy in place for their present and past footballers.
Only Enugu Rangers ex internationals forum has instituted a welfare package in place for their members. The club’s ex players based in USA are the ones spearheading the welfare policy with regular contributions.
It was the benevolence of Billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, that has kept former Nigerian Captain, Christian Chukwu alive. Otedola bankrolled Chukwu’s surgery and rehabilitation when he was down with prostrate a couple of years back.
Several ex internationals, not only in football, have died from ailments that ought not to take their lives but due to paucity of funds to take care of such.
