Government Largesse sends Dolphin to exile

“These Port Harcourt boys have been calling our phones ever since with threat messages to us if we do not part with some of the money we received from the Government,” one of the players told nigeriasports.com on condition of anonymity.

“It is funny. We all had to abandon our camp, turn off our phones and hide out in various hotels far away from Port Harcourt.”

The Area boy issue has been a recurring problem in Port Harcourt since the mid-nineties but this time it has reached a dangerous crescendo.

In January about five gunmen entered the camp of the team, shooting indiscriminately because, “the team manager refused to sign our player”.

“They wanted to kill me,” the Team Manager told nigeriasports.com then.

“But too bad for them, I was not in the office when they came in.”

Unfortunately, a player was shot in the back, an incident that eventually ended his chances of playing for the club in the 2004 season.

“I almost left Port Harcourt when people I do not know called me and asked that I deposit one million naira with them or lose my life,” one of the officials told nigeriasports.com.

“They accused me of not including their names in the list to get the government largesse, but I wonder if I am the Sports Commissioner or Rivers State Governor.”

Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Allwell Onyesoh has told nigeriasports.com that he is not too happy with the development that has seen the players not being able to concentrate on what they are paid for.

Allwell Onyesoh (above) Rivers State Sports Commissioner

“Somebody has to stop this menace in Port Harcourt no matter the cost.” Onyesoh said.

"I still believe that we made these boys seem important and that is why they think they weild so much influence."

A visit to the camp of Dolphin on Sunday saw a deserted building.

“No player will go near that camp in a long time,” Captain Ahmed Abdulrahman told nigeriasports.com.

“As for me, I am hiding out somewhere outside Port Harcourt and my phone has been turned off since Friday. You are lucky to even reach me since I just turned it on to make some calls. It’s a terrible situation, but that is the society we have found ourselves in.”

Dolphin resume for the new season on monday, but it is unlikely that will be done in Port Harcourt as the players may not be too disposed to returning to the town so soon.