Former Nigerian Under 17 Player Interfaces With Commissioner For Humanitarian Affairs, Seeks Intervention For Cross River Born Otu Bassey, Who Played Professional Football In Europe

Former Nigerian Under 17 Player Interfaces With Commissioner For Humanitarian Affairs, Seeks Intervention For Cross River Born Otu Bassey, Who Played Professional Football In Europe 

Mr Ibagha Mbetobong Samuel, a former Nigerian under 17 footballer who represented Nigeria in the CAF/ Rwanda 2011 African Nations Cup Qualifier against Republic of Congo in Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo, a former British Council (CATS) and Kwara Academy Player who received 6 years full scholarship from Kwara State Government by Dr. Bukola Saraki the former Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who was the governor of Kwara State as at then, interfaced with the Honorable Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs today to seek assistance and intervention for a Cross Riverian who played professional football in the Europe. 

Mbet Obong stated that he got to know Effiom Otu Bassey in Kwara state when he was playing for Kwara State football Academy and Effiom was playing for Abubakar Bukola Saraki Fc in the Nigerian Premier League.  He went further to reveal that Dr Temitope Alonge, a Surgeon (the former chief medical director of the University of Ibadan teaching hospital who is now the Oyo State Covid -19 Chairman) advised him to quit football after his knee operation, he returned back to Calabar in 2013 and was surprised to see Effiom Otu in a drenched condition. 

According to the documentation of the saturday Punch Newspaper interview with Effiom on the 19th of August, 2023:

After playing for the Nigerian premier league from 2009 to 2011, Effiom then aged 19 was signed to Lillestrom, a Norwegian club. After a few months of playing with Lillestrom, Effiom said that an issue arose between the agents who facilitated his moving to Norway and the receiving agents in Norway in charge of his supervision. He revealed that for weeks he practiced in fear because he was always called outside to speak to his agent to clarify an aspect of the contract. He was barely 20 years old, and didn’t know what was happening, but he knew there was an issue later on he was informed that the management was no longer pleased with his performance and that his contract was terminated. It was like a movie to him and is still like a dream, The arrangement was for him to go back to Nigeria to clarify some things and could come back on a clean slate through a better Agent. He only sent some money to his family once because he was still servicing some of the terms of the contract that were not clear to him to date. 

He also noted that the management of the team changed in the 2012 season and he was released from the team despite his contract. Effiom said he was looking forward to stay back in Norway, but an agent duped him again. 

Dr Egodo in her usual sympathetic manner made a commitment to visit Effiom to see the state of his condition and engage our People-First Governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, the Honorable Minister for Sport who happens to be Cross Riverian and the Nigerian football Federation to seek Support and assistance for the rehabilitation and recovery of Effiom Bassey. 

Dr Helen Isamoh- Egodo Media

Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, CRS.