Stephen Keshi

Minister of Sports Tamuno Danagogo and the President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick said in Abuja on Friday that arrangement had been made to re-engage Stephen Keshi as the Super Eagles coach.

They said the contract details, which include his N5m monthly salary, had been communicated to him.

The duo, who stated this when they appeared before the Senate Committee on Sports to defend their 2015 budget, were optimistic that Keshi would get back to the sports ministry within the next two weeks to resume work.

The NFF boss, while answering questions from the Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba, on why Keshi’s appointment was being delayed, explained that it was due to the involvement of both the technical and legal team of the federation in the arrangement.

Pinnick said, “When I got elected, I went through a lot of documentation in the federation and I found out that in the past coaches were employed and some issues were not sorted out.

“So, I made sure that all the committees that had to do with the employment of the coaches – from the Legal Committee of the Federation to the Technical Committee – met because of the fact that we don’t want any form of issues after a coach has been engaged.

“They went through all this. Again taking into cognisance what the minister just said the reality of ground, oil dropping from $105 to $48 and then it started climbing, you look at the reality on the ground.

“I told them clearly what can we pay based on what we are going to be expecting? Even the economy also affects the Nigerian corporate firms,   which of course, we always tried to target, to meet our budgeting provision.

“So, based on the reality on the ground, it took them quite a couple of time but I can assure you that the contract we offered Keshi we went through a lot of processes that at the end of the day, if anybody sees it, he will know that it is a thoroughly done contract.

“In terms of the finance, we advocated to pay N5m with other provision for housing and some other ancillary services and very realistic benefits, which of course, are all enshrined in his contract.”

Pinnick added, “I can assure you that within the next 10 to 15 days, at worst, we should be able to make a pronouncement of this contract finally.

“We have given him time to study the contract. Correspondence should not be hearsay; correspondence should be between the employee and the employer and that is what we are waiting for”

Danagogo, in his explanation also said the reason for pegging Keshi’s salary at N5m monthly was because of the economic downturn in the country.

He said, “I do not expect that we will go beyond the next few weeks within this month without being sure of who is the national coach of this country. Necessary offers have been made and I hopes that the coach will respond on time.”