LOBI STARS PLAYERS PROTEST, BLOCK GOVERNMENT HOUSE GATE. Players of Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi this morning blocked the gates of the government house demanding to see the Governor, Samuel Ortom over a gamut of issues ranging from non- payment of salaries and match bonuses, poor management amongst other issues. One of the players who spoke under anonymity said the club was run singlehandedly by the chairman, Mr Dominic Iorfa. That they had not been paid August and September salaries, despite the release of monies from the government every month to Mr Iorfa. That even when paid, the chairman deducted N20,000 from the salaries of each player for his personal use. The players added that they had not been paid match allowances for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Mr Dominic Iorfa was also said to have collected N50,000 from each player last year as contribution to be disbursed back to the players at the end of the year, but he embezzled the funds. Despite the stipulation of the League Management Council that players be paid a minimum of N150,000 per month which the Benue State Government complies with, the chairman paid the players, by hand, amounts far less than those released by the state government. Governor Ortom in his response was furious that monies released by Government were diverted into private pockets. He said he had release N7 million as part payment for their match bonuses which had accumulated to N33 million from the past administration and was surprised to hear that the players hadn't been paid. He therefore delegated the Secretary to the State Government, Targema Takema to look into the issue and report back to him.
source: benue state university forum

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