Nigeria skipper Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha has pleaded with the country's president Olusegun Obasanjo to help him recover a million dollar deposit trapped in a troubled local bank.
In a press statement by the Bolton Wanderers star Thursday, Okocha pleaded with President Obasanjo to ensure he gets the one million dollars he deposited at the Societe Generale Bank, which has gone bust, in Nigeria.
"The President has been calling Nigeria to come home and invest and I heeded this call. It will therefore be unfortunate if people like me who have invested in the country now have our fingers burnt and cannot recover our investment," said Okocha.
"I'm therefore appealing to the President, as well as other top government officials, to help me recover the one million dollars I invested in Societe Generale Bank."
He added: "It has been a very stressful period for me and my family. I have worked hard for club and country and it is sad that this is happening at a time we should all be aiming to win the Nations Cup."
A local sports paper, Today Sports, had reported on the eve of the Nations Cup in Tunisia that the midfield star was contemplating staying away from the championship as a result of his financial problems.
'Jay Jay' has since gone to feature at the Nations Cup but that has not stopped him from exploring all avenues to recover his personal savings.
The 30-year-old Okocha is one of Nigeria's most successful soccer exports. He has starred for Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Franfurt as well as Fenerbahce of Turkey, who he left after the 1998 World Cup to sign for Paris Saint Germain for a record transfer fee of over 16 million dollars.
He is set to extend his stay at English Premiership side Bolton at the end of the season after an eventful first two years.