Sports

Ekiti Athletes Lament N15,600 NSF Allowance

Published

4 years ago

January 7, 2019

Ekiti State athletes have expressed their unhappiness with the Ekiti State Sports Council over the N15,600 allowance paid to them by the council for their participation in last month’s Abuja 2018 National Sports Festival.
The state finished 31st at the festival with two silver and four bronze medals. National junior table tennis champion Esther Oribamise led the state to win bronze in the women’s team and women’s doubles events in Abuja.
Oribamise said she rejected the N15,600 because the council agreed to pay her N100,000 for the competition.
The Ekiti State University student lamented that the state failed in their promise to her despite not giving her and her teammates the best preparations for the Games.
She said the state’s athletes were paid N15,600 each after their arrival in Ekiti from the festival, which she rejected.
Other athletes, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were unhappy with the way they were treated by the state but only collected the money because they had no option. Oribamise said, “Before the festival, I was approached by Rivers State to compete for them and we agreed that I would be paid N80,000 monthly for a year. Unfortunately, some officials of the Ekiti State Sports Council learnt of the proposal and urged me to drop the idea and stay with the state at the festival.
“I refused because since I first represented Ekiti in the festival at Eko 2012, I had been neglected by the state. Medal winners at the Eko festival were promised employment by the state government. Fortunately for me, I won bronze in the team event but while the other medallists were employed, I was told after Eko 2012 that I could not be given employment because I was too young – I was 12 years at the time.
“I pleaded with them to convert the employment to scholarship but no one listened to me and I was left alone until I secured admission into the Ekiti State University and the Vice-Chancellor gave me a scholarship.”
The former African junior champion added, “So when they came this year, I refused to represent Ekiti but the officials threatened me, my coach and my parents that my scholarship at the university would be withdrawn if I went to another state. After much plea and threats, I agreed to play for Ekiti but I told them that I would be paid N100,000 for participating and the officials agreed.
“What we went through before and during the festival are indescribable but we came back with some medals. When we reached Ekiti, each athlete was given N15,600, which I refused. I have told them to pay me the agreed N100,000 but no one is attending to me again. “Ekiti has been unfair to athletes and they want us to remain faithful to the state after neglecting us.” Another athlete, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “What we experienced at the festival was not encouraging. Although we weren’t camped while preparing for the event, which was why we didn’t get any allowance, we still prepared, spent our money and time. All we got for being among the few that participated in the festival was N15,600.
“Nobody was happy with it, but we collected it due to our economic situation. The poor treatment was the reason for the dismal performance of Ekiti State in the competition. We could have won at least six gold medals. I do not blame those who did not win. How could anyone have won under that condition?
“Many of us trained, but only a few were selected to participate. Some went to the event on their own, some coaches volunteered their allowances, some athletes, who sponsored themselves, were told not to expect any allowance”.

Sports

Commissioner Advises Youths To Take Sports As Career

Published

3 days ago

August 5, 2022

The Tide

The Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Barrister Christopher Green, has advised youths of the State to shun social vices in the society and take sports as a career for their livelihood.
According to him, sports should be an advantage and attraction for them to shun social, vices in the society adding that in his younger age, he went to school and he took Sports very seriously.
Green said this in a chat with sports journalists shortly after a basketball tournament in Port Harcourt.
He stated that he started playing basketball when he was young and he was mentored by good coaches both in character and the game.
“The youths should see sports as an advantage and attraction for them to leave those vices.
‘When I was younger like them, I went to school and I played basketball.
‘I had good coaches; they mentored me in character and even in the game.
‘So they should see the opportunity of the game as an opportunity to better the society,’’he said.

By: Kiadum Edookor

Sports

NFF Must Pay Me N157m With Interest – Rohr

Published

3 days ago

August 5, 2022

The Tide

Former Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr, has said that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would have to pay him his outstanding salary with interest along with the current dollar rate following their delay in making the payment.
The Franco-German was relieved of his job as the Eagles gaffer last December, following a series of underwhelming performances by the three-time African champions.
Despite moves by the NFF to pay his salary until the end of his contract, which should have expired in December, Rohr, the Eagles’ longest-serving coach took the case to world football bod,y FIFA, demanding an additional £1m for breach of contract without just cause but FIFA instead approved $377,879.46 (N155million as of December 2021 and N157m at the current official dollar to naira rate).
A ruling by the FIFA players’ status chamber in May ordered the NFF to pay Rohr the money within 45 days, after ending his contract abruptly adding that the country’s football governing body would be sanctioned if Rohr was not paid in full within 45 days.
“If full payment (including all applicable interest) is not made within 45 days of notification of this decision, the respondent (the NFF) shall be imposed a restriction on receiving a percentage of development funding, up until the due amounts are paid,” said the FIFA decision.
However, 85 days after the ruling by FIFA, the former Bordeaux manager told news men that he was yet to get payment from the NFF.
Speaking with Tidesports source Rohr said, “Since the FIFA judgment, they (NFF) didn’t pay anything.
“FIFA paid me a part of the sum they owe me and that is normally (from) a part of the development budget they pay to African federations.
“My lawyer reminded them, FIFA and NFF, that interests have to be paid. The dollar amount will grow with time and this is the law.”
Asked whether he would be taking the NFF to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the gaffer added, “No, because normally FIFA gives a guarantee for payment.

Sports

Ahoada-East Loves Sporting Activities -Council Boss

Published

3 days ago

August 5, 2022

The Tide

The Executive Chairman of Ahoada East Local Governnment Area of Rivers State, Barr Benjamin Ekeh has explained the essence of the annual traditional wrestling in his Area,which he said is to usher in resting period after the farming season .
Speaking to journalists on the sideline of the opening ceremony of this year,s annual traditional wrestling festival at Ogbo-Akoh Community in Ahoada, the Council Chairman said everybody was happy and the atmosphere was electrifying.
Ekeh said that apart from, wrestling, Ahoada East also holds school sports where budding talents are discovered.
“School, do hold their inter-house sports annually.
According to him, council also holds football competition yearly, in the LGA.
“Apart from sporting activities,we also hold wrestling competitions among the three clans that make up Ahoada, namely Upata, Ehuda and Akoh.
“So it is the turn of Akoh this year to host the wrestling festival and as a council we support them financially.
“The wrestling festival marks the end of farming season for the year.
“What you are seeing here is the opening ceremony of the wrestling festival,”the chairman explained.
Ben Ekeh pointed out that his people love sports naturally.
He emphasized the importance of sports to include, physical fitness, wealth creation and redirection of youths from social vices.
“Ahoada people love sports, you can see everybody is happy.’’