The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain, the national anthem posited, but reverse is the case of some of these heroes, footballers especially as the treatment they get from various clubs they have played for is nothing to write home about.
Former Wikki Tourist of Bauchi left back, Raymond Onyenkachi Aja narrated is calling out to the management of the club to come to his rescue after been abandoned to his poor state of health in over two years.
Speaking to Ayoola Adeleke on Rhythm FM Benin City on ‘Naija Foot’ in an interview which lasted for fifteen minutes, the Aba born narrated how he rejected a contract from Genk of Belgium because of his love for the club he has been playing for since his secondary school days, and how the current management have turned deaf hear to him in over twenty three months since his salary was stopped.
“I Started playing in 1996 from secondary school days, I underwent trial and was signed by Wikki Tourist after my WAEC when Wikki was still in division 3.”
“Alongside other players, we Won FA for the team in 1998, I played as a left foot back and went to the African cup winners cup where he was invited to the U-17 Eaglets camp under Musa Abdullahi, but couldn’t make it to the camp due to club committment in Morrocco.”
“I had the opportunity of moving on with the Morroccan side Coach who picked interest in my playing style and ability and was ready to work him to Genk in Belgium.”
“The week I was supposed to travel to sign for Genk in Belgium, Barnabas Imenga told me not to go and that was how it ended; I had an accident while travelling with the club to play against Katsina United (1999); then, everything went wrong from there after I came out of the accident with broken Spinal cord”
“His Excellency, Adamu Muazu (the then Governor) came to me and promised me that he will help us out; we were supposed to be flown into London for treatment, but I don’t know why they stopped.”
“Then they announced that they were going to place me on life salaries and build three bedroom flat for us in any location of our choice in Nigeria.”
“They started the payment (47,000 naira) salary from his Excellency, Adamu Muazu’s administration to Yisa Yuguda and the past Governor also paid us in his administration”
“I was telling the club’s Secretary to please add little to the money they were paying me because I just gave birth to my child then, but he replied me in a bitter way: “you that we are trying to stop his salary, you are saying we should add to it”
“I thought it was a joke when this was said to me, September 2018, but the bitter truth is that, it wasn’t a joke but what they eventually did.”
“When I saw that the salary wasn’t coming again, I had to call them in the office to ask what happened, why I wasn’t paid; I was told to go to the bank to check what the problem was, but when I got there, nothing like money transfer.”
“I called Sanni Toro (the Commissioner for Sports when the accident happened), he was sad over the development and said it was wrong of them; he gave me numbers to call persons which I did, but nothing possitive proceeded from it.”
“When I called the chairman, his response was “Onyenkachi, if you are in Europe, they will not be paying you by now, they will pay you off and settle all your entitlement.”
“If you are lucky, the management will discuss your issue, — but till today, nothing possitive has come from their end.”
“Sanni Toro asked me to write to the state Governor, I did this borrowing 6,000 naira and used DHL to have it sent to the Governor, but nothing came out of it. I have tried my best, I just underwent a surgery and I can’t be moving around like this anyhow.”
“I’m pleading the Wikki Tourist management to please come to my rescue and let’s sit together and have my case settled”
“I suffered for this club, rejecting a move to Genk in Belgium, everybody in Bauchi knows what I did for the club and my contribution even after the unfortunate accident.”
I’m pleading that they please consider my state, I can’t even walk for long, I can’t sit for long; this condition I’m in is not what I wished for. Since I carried out my surgery, I haven’t gone for medical check-up because I don’t have the money, the management should please come to my rescue”
Meanwhile, the National Union of Nigerian Professional Footballers (NANPF) as headed by Tijani Babangida (MON) after been contacted by the player responded by writing officially to the Club to address the issue and copied the NFF and the LMC.
The Union through the Secretary General, Austin Popo in the addressed letter to the club management maintains that, failure to act will prompt the need to write the Governor to address the player issue.
Platinum News 