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Last Updated: 2005-05-25 11:27:55
By Emiko Bake (Online Editor) Email to a friend  |  Printable version

Fraud allegations litter NPA Seasiders' shores

Nigeria Ports Authority FC, The Seasiders, a Nigerian Globacom Premier League side that is still grappling with the problems of paying salarie, match bonuses, sign-on fees and other allowances to it players and coaches, is in the news again...this time it is the ugly stories of fraudulent manouvres and practices by a top management staff of the team.

Talks are making the rounds in football circles, especially local play grounds in the city of Lagos, which is the team's base, that some football players were cleared from their respective former clubs, by the said official of the Seasiders, with the ultimate aim and make-believe overtures to the  affected players, that he would sign them on in his club.

But this was not to be as the victims neither saw their sign-on fees, nor got signed-on by the Seasiders' fraudmaster.  Some of such affected players, who spoke to nigeriasports.com on the condition of anonymity, said that, their mates in the club told them that the Management of the NPA FC, actually paid their entitlements, but such were embezelled by the team's management official.

"We are now helpless, hapless and club-less. We have tried all we could to see that the man sees reasons with us and at least, let us have some part of the money which he claimed from the club's management in our names...but he won't. We do not want to make any trouble with him because as players, and he, more or less a coach, could be the end loosers.

"You know what the society is like.  It is his words against ours.  We have decided to leave everything in the hands of God and by His Grace, we know that, someday, the bubble will burst and he would be worse for it...we are players and that means that, it's our game and not his.  We would definitely meet somewhere along the line...and by then, he would be at the receiving end.

"What comes easy, goes easy.  Now, he cannot pay his players and officials' salaries and allowances...only God knows what has happened to the money meant for these. NPA is a solid government parastatal and as such, it's funny to learn that it cannot pay its players and officials. Our friends there told us that, all they see everytime, is the Team Manager, Mike Idoko coming to show them cheques and not cash; and they wonder how long or when the cheques would become real cash," the victims of circustances narrated in anonymity.

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Link  |  2005-05-30 11:42
okwudili (Lagos)
Anytime I read your stories about NPA I will have no doubt in my mind that you are on a vengeance mission. It is more painful when I see your designation as an editor. I have the feeling that you are one of the former supporters from Delta who wants the club back to Warri and are bent on frustrating the team in Lagos.
I also have the feeling that the team manager may have disconnected you from those sports editors and reports that presides bottles of beer at the club’s expense at the National stadium in Lagos.
Whichever category you fall into, my concern is that your write up especially about NPA and other clubs is devoid of professionalism because you have constantly threw the elements of journalism to the wind. Your reports are not balanced and fair because you have never cared to accommodate the team manager’s viewpoint.
Emiko, please grow up and write like a model journalist and stop furnishing us with racket stories. I don’t blame you because other editors you have co-opted also sheepishly use your stories to help you promote your agenda. Emiko, I am not surprise because you are always other directed even in the sports programme you present with Emeka Odikpo. I am watching to see you change.
Chukwunonso.

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