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James Shamange
The Nigeria Concord, an online publication on Friday July 14, 2023 reported that players of Lobi Stars FC had threatened to boycott the semi-final match against Remo Stars in the Naija Super 8 pre-season tournament which is ongoing at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, in Lagos over two months unpaid salaries.
The medium reportedly blamed the players’ protest on the Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Dr. Hyacinth Alia as the report claimed he was responsible for the non payment of salaries because he had refused to release the monetary allocation due to the club for two months.
Taking a critical look at the story as reported by Nigeria Concord online, you will not need a soothsayer to know that the report was orchestrated by an embattled Dominic Iorfa to smear the hard earned reputation of Alia and to pressurize him into releasing money to him as can be seen in the following:
1. The Editor-in-Chief of Nigeria Concord online, one A’are has been a media attack dog of Dominic Iorfa and former Governor Samuel Ortom who appointed Iorfa as Vice Chairman and till today command Iorfa’s loyalty. A’are can not suddenly begin to propagate what is not in the best interest of Iorfa.
2. Iorfa has a penchant for non payment of staff salaries even as the government has been funding the club as at when due, but he has not recorded any form of boycott as the players are completely loyal to him, though under duress. How will he suddenly lose the loyalty of the players within less than two months of the new administration?
3. Iorfa has owed players and staff of Lobi Stars more than two months salaries, why would the said boycott for non payment of salaries be hinged on the two months that Governor Alia is yet to release money to the club?
4. What was the reporter doing in Lobi Stars hotel to have come across the story?
5. Iorfa had spoken on radio in a media chat in Makurdi and openly said, owing players salaries is not new in Nigerian Football. He was quoted as saying Enyimba players were owed 5 months salaries yet they won the league, why was the case different in the circumstance?
6. The players of Lobi Stars led by Captain Atsaka Daniel have on several occasions denied been owed when actually they were owed, so how and when did the almighty Iorfa lose control of the players to extent of watching helplessly as they protest against the Governor and threaten to boycott a semi final game?
7. Recall that Iorfa had attempted playing this same card during the NPL Super 6 in Lagos in an attempt to bring the name of Governor Alia to disrepute and save his face for the team’s woeful performance but the then Coach Mohammed Baba Ganaru, opposed the satanic plan and ensured the team played all its matches. That was actually the last straw that broke the camel’s back as the relationship between Iorfa and his former coach became irredeemable, leading to the unceremonious departure of the later who is also owed 5 months salary.
8. The eventual refutation of the article by the writer is nothing but a damage control move by Iorfa who is the originator of the offensive report targeted at the reputation of His Excellency, Governor Alia. Even at that, a careful study of the damage control effort has also shown that the reporter is standing by his story as he only quoted the media handlers of the club, who were stopped by the authoritarian Iorfa from going to Lagos as saying there was no protest. Both the writer and his paymaster are being clever by half.
9. Indeed, Iorfa’s shameful behaviour is a huge disappointment because Governor Alia had at several fora told the people of Benue State that all government departments and agencies that have complexities are under scrutiny to fix all their problems before salaries will be paid to them and Lobi Stars happens to be among them.
10. As far as the government of Fr Alia is concerned, Dominic Iorfa has been on his own since the day all boards of parastatals were dissolved. As such, the government can not release money to him. Moreover, the tournament the players were threatening to boycott is not a statutory tournament and all expenses were paid by the organisers. It is an open secret that the competition organisers paid for hotel accommodation, players and officials’ feeding and N3m per match for each club. By this, Lobi Stars have earned over N15m before their exit from the tournament. What has happened to the money?
11. No responsible Government will in the face of all the allegations of financial impropriety leveled against Iorfa continue to release money to him without looking at the books. Therefore, his planned blackmail has failed woefully and can not break the unwavering trust and confidence of the people in Governor Alia. Only time will tell.
