Five years after helping Nigeria lift the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy in South Korea, a member of the Golden Eaglets Daniel Joshua is in pains and abandoned after an accident rendered him paralysed.
Daniel Joshua who played as a central midfielder during the tournament, became paralysed after a fatal accident while on duty with Niger Tornadoes Football Club of Minna Niger State.
Daniel, a holder of the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Niger , MON after selling all his properties to regain fitness, told LEADERSHIP SPORTS in an exclusive interview how the federal government and his club Niger Tornadoes abandoned him after he damaged his spinal cord after the accident in Niger State.
He said: “We were given N500,000.00 each by former president, Obasanjo after winning the African Youth tournament. And after we came back from the World Cup, then late President Yar’adua gave us some gifts and donated houses for us and gave us national honours of MON.
“I had the accident shortly after we returned from the U-17 World Cup in South Korea.
“The federal government, Kaduna and Niger state governments had abandoned me, my father had written the state governments for assistance, but no response. The present governor of Kaduna State even said that I was a federal government property and not the state government’s property.
“My salary with Niger Tornadoes has stopped without any notice. My sign-on-fees was N2m but has not been given to me.
“I want to appeal to Niger Tornadoes to at least pay my sign-on-fees so as to be on my feet.’’