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 N7,000 as match bonus but the present management slashed it to N5,000 and, later, N3,000.
”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 one hour with the vice chairman Mr. Idoko in attendance. The outcome of the meeting was not disclosed.
