At Last, Succour For Late Rashidi Yekini’s Mum

• Gets monthly stipend from Sports Ministry

Eight years after the demise of Rashidi Yekini, succour has finally come the way of his family. Thanks to the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, the late Super Eagles striker’s mother, Alhaja Sikiratu, is now placed on a monthly stipend of N10,000.

Sports Minister, Mr Sunday Dare, announced the gesture on Wednesday at Ijagbo, near Offa in Kwara State, while donating Ramadan gifts to the aged woman.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister, represented by Olaitan Shittu, donated the sum of N50,000 as part of the Ramadan gifts to Yekini’s mother.

Among items donated with the cash are a 50 kg bag of rice; 10 kg bag of wheat and six (6) tins of Milo beverage drink.

Shittu however disclosed that it was not the first time Minister Dare was reaching out to Alhaja Yekini as he was also at her residence in September, 2019.

He said the Ministry would also be extending the same gesture to the mother of late Super Eagles player, Samuel Okwaraji.

In her response, Alhaja Yekini, who spoke in vernacular Yoruba), thanked the Minister for the kind gesture and prayed fervently for God to bless him and his tenure in government.

“I have been abandoned for a long time and have not seen any help from anyone.

“I was hospitalised for few days some months ago and I did catered for myself despite scarce resources: even last month, I received treatment from the hospital.

“I need help from Nigerians, but this Minister has done very well, especially remembering me in this holy month of Ramadan.

“Since my son died, it has been very tough for me because I do not have any help from people.

“Rashidi’s siblings are not doing well too, so, I was left to struggle for life everyday,” she said.

The late Yekini died eight years ago in Ibadan after retiring from active football. His professional career spanned more than two decades and was mainly associated with Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal.

Besides playing for Nigeria, Yekini also played in six other countries including Ivory Coast.

In scoring 37 goals as a Nigerian international from 58 games, late Yekini represented the country in five major tournaments, including two World Cups where he scored Nigeria’s first-ever goal at the global soccer fiesta in a 3-0 victory over Bulgaria in a group match at USA ’94 World Cup.

He was also named African Footballer of the Year in 1993. Additionally, Yekini helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia where he also topped the goal charts and was named best player of the tournament – NAN