Abia Warriors players, officials get ultimatum

Management of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia has given the coaches and players of the team an ultimatum to win their next three Glo Premier League matches or be ready to collect only half of their monthly salary.
The ultimatum was coming at the heels of the Warriors’ second home loss of the season as champions Kano Pillars won 1-0 in Umuahia at the weekend.
During an emergency meeting which was convened at the club’s secretariat in Umuahia to review the lost match, and also attended by Board members and the Technical Crew, the management expressed displeasure that the club has lost twice in only five home games, insisting that the club’s fortunes must improve henceforth.
Club Chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama, said Abia Warriors have no reason not to do well since the welfare of the players and officials have been properly taken care of.
“As we speak, we are not owing any of you. Your salary has been paid regularly so you don’t have any reason not to perform well”, an obviously disappointed Inyama told the technical crew.
According to him, only half of their salary will, henceforth, be paid to them unless they win their next three league games, insisting that there will be no going back on the decision.
Inyama urged the technical crew to strengthen all weak areas in the team to make them more competitive, adding that the Warriors did well in its premier League debut season and is expected to improve on that.
He reminded the coaches that they were given a free hand to recruit the player they felt could deliver the goods as management never interfered in their selection and wondered why the team could not hold its own against the defending champions.
Responding, the Technical Adviser of the team, Isa Ladan Bosso, on behalf of his crew and the players, apologised for the loss against his former employers and attributed it to ill-luck.
“We dominated the match and created more goal scoring opportunities than Pillars but the goals simply refused to come”, he said.
Bosso, however, promised that the team would perform better in its subsequent matches and commended the Government and Management for their support so far and urged them not to relent.