Players of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Heartland Football Club of Owerri, who were sacked last year by the Barrister Charles Ezekwem-led board, are demanding the payment of their outstanding salaries.
The players, who spoke to journalist in Owerri recently, claimed they signed loan deals till the end of the season but were unjustly dropped from the team and the remainder of their agreed fees were withheld by the management.
They pleaded with State governor, His Excellency Hope Uzodinma to compel the Management of Heartland FC to pay them and also save the club from incompetent managements.
“We are crying over spilled milk. We are demanding for the balance of our fees. We are surprised that a board which claimed to have come to improve the fortunes of the club turned to be the destroyers. Our fees were cut without any recourse to the terms of engagement and what was due to us was not paid when we were sacked. This is unfair.” They said.
“They further claimed to have paid us double bonus which was all lies. It was the money cut from our fees which they claimed was a bonus. That is fraudulent, “ said one of them.
The players, who would not want their names mentioned also alleged that most of the players appearing for Heartland FC in the NPFL season are on loan and not registered players of the Naze Millionaires.
“Let the Ezekwem board explain to the state government how many of the players in the team are property of the club. Most of them were gotton on loan.We understand, they received over N45 million to recruit players for the club, instead they preferred to loan players for peanuts. Heartland does not have up to ten players of its own in the team. If the boys in the team decide to walk away, it means Heartland cannot produce a team for the season.
“All the players laid off by the management were first team players in their clubs. Some of them are top scorers in the new clubs while Heartland is still struggling to blend with low quality players. We were simply victims of interplay of forces in the club, especially the clash of political interest among the board and other stakeholders resulting from the manner the board took over the management of the club,” he concluded.
They once again pleaded with the State governor, His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodinma to compel the management of Heartland fc to pay the sacked players all money owed them and save club from drifting to relegation.
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