(http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/thumbnail.php?file=RASH_670996148.jpg&size=article_medium) Late Yekini The Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has advised his colleagues to stop blaming the government for the death of Rashidi Yekini.
Yekini, a former national football player, died on Friday at the age of 48.
Ikuforiji while reacting to the comments of members of the assembly at plenary on Monday, said it was wrong for people to be blaming government for everything, ``including things we could do for ourselves.
``I disagree with some of you for blaming the Federal Government for not rendering assistance to Yekini when he was in need of help.
‘’Though, it is painful that Yekini had to die the way he did, but we need to call ourselves to order, we keep blaming Federal Government for every single thing which is very bad.’’
``We pass blame to government for our children's misbehaviour; the federal, state and the local governments cannot do it all alone.
‘’We are all guilty of this and we should stop passing the blame to the Federal Government,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the Speaker as saying at the plenary.
Earlier, the lawmakers had expressed grief over the death of the ace footballer, whom many of them described as a great striker.
The Chairman, House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Mr. Babatunde Ayeni, had under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, called the attention of the house to Yekini’s death and described it as painful.
Ayeni explained that Yekini did a lot for Nigerian football, having scored the country’s first goal at the World Cup in the United States in 1994.
He reminded the lawmakers of a report that was written by a national daily last year describing the footballer’s situation as worrisome.
The lawmaker said that in spite of the report, the government at all levels failed to respond to rehabilitate the footballer.
“On the day he was buried, we heard that money was contributed and people were showering his praise,” Ayeni said.
TheNation