The players of Lobi Stars Football Club’s feeder team on Monday staged a protest at the gates of Benue State’s government house over the non-payment of salaries, match bonuses, poor management and other issues. The protesters demanded to see Governor Samuel Ortom.
The captain of the feeder team, Tar
Terhemen, told journalists that they had not been paid January to July
2016 salaries and match bonuses.
He said there was no reason for the debt
since the government provide funds to the vice-chairman of the club, Mr
Mike Idoko, through the office of the deputy governor.
Terhemen explained that the new
management did not care about their welfares, ”they will asked us to go
for matches aside the state without given us a penny for accommodations
and feeding money”.
Terhemen said the players used to receive N7000 as match bonus but the present management slashed it to N5000 and, later, N3000.
”We were one time abandoned in Lagos and
Kano states after playing matches and thirty of us were jag parked in
one hotel room for days. Some of us are not from Benue State, we came
from different states and have people to cater for but see how we are
been maltreated here.
After series of singing and chatting for
several hours, the chairman of Lobi stars football club of Makurdi and
deputy governor of the state, Engineer Benson Abounu later directed the
Media officer of the club, Mr. Emmanuel Ujah to address them and
consequently bring the players to his office.
The Captain of the team in company of
two other players went to the deputy governor office leaving the
remaining protesters at the main government.
The deputy governor thereafter held a
closed door meeting with the players which lasted for about hour with
the vice chairman Mr. Idoko in attendance. The outcome of the meeting
was not disclosed.
It would be recalled that chairman of
the club has stated that N37.5million the Independent Corrupt Practices
and other related offences Commission ICPC, accused of paying into the
Deputy Governor account out of bail fund was meant to settled lobi
players salary.
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