Okorodudu: How I survived before ministry paid my salary

Kelvin Ekerete

Ex-Nigerian boxer and coach, Jerry Okorodudu, says he struggled to feed his family before the sports ministry paid his outstanding three-month salary allowance after two-years The PUNCH reports.

The Olympian, a former national boxing coach, was in dire need of financial assistance for surgery in August, before help came from sports minister, Sunday Dare, and ex-boxers, who paid his medical bills.

Dare also promised to pay the salaries owed the Los Angeles ‘84 Olympics boxer after being disengaged by the sports ministry in 2018.

Okorodudu told The PUNCH he received the payment on last Tuesday.

“The three months allowance I was owed by the ministry was paid into my account on Tuesday afternoon. The amount paid is N300,000,” Okorodudu told The PUNCH on Wednesday.

The 1979 National Sports Festival gold medalist is currently unemployed, with his trader wife shouldering the responsibilities of his family.

“I have a club where I train boxers at the National Stadium in Lagos, but the money I make there is not enough to take care of my family.

 “For a very long time, my wife has been taking care of the family. She sells mattresses and materials at Ketu/Mile 12 market.

“The only person that has been of help to me all these years is the president of the boxing federation, Kenneth Minimah, who pays N200,000 for my house rent yearly.

“I am not happy with the way the government is treating ex-boxers. When you’re no longer representing the country, no one cares about you.”

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