Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has condemned the neglect of late national team goalkeeper Peter Rufai and his family, saying it contributed to Rufai’s death.
Expressing his anger over the incident, West vowed never to allow his son set foot in Nigeria.
He made the remarks on Thursday during Rufai’s service of songs in Lagos.
Rufai, 61, passed away on July 3 after battling an illness for several weeks, a development confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
At the service, West alleged that Rufai’s family was abandoned by both the Lagos State Government and the NFF, despite appeals for financial assistance to treat his illness.
He stressed that there is nothing worth sacrificing one’s life for, especially for a country that fails to care for its citizens.
“For me, it is disheartening. You have Lagos State, you have the Nigeria Football Federation, yet they abandoned the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing worth laying down your life for. That is why I said I had to step back so I would not implode. It is heartbreaking. What kind of nation is this?” he said.
West further noted that, given how Nigeria had treated its late football heroes, including Stephen Keshi, Thompson Oliha, and Rashidi Yekini, he would never encourage his son to come to Nigeria.
“With the examples they have shown in the cases of Shofoluwe, Stephen Keshi of blessed memory, Thompson Oliha of blessed memory, and Rashidi Yekini, I will never advise my son to set foot in this country,” he declared.
He questioned the role of football authorities in handling Rufai’s case, lamenting that a player of his calibre could be so neglected.
“Do we really have a football association in this country or even a federation in Lagos State, when a hero, a soldier, a football evangelist, could be treated this way, along with his family? Can you imagine that the family had to cry out and solicit money within our groups just to survive? It is madness,” he concluded.
