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No fewer than 20 players of the Rovers
football club of Calabar, on Friday besieged
the gate leading to the office Cross River
State Governor Ben Ayade, appealing for
the payment of their two years salary
arrears.
The footballers, who displayed various
placards to express their predicament,
urged the governor to urgently come to
their deaid.
“Your excellency, we greet you in
solidarity. We the footballers of Calabar
Rovers FC, also known as Ayade Boys’, are
asking for our entitlements for two years.
Thank you sir”, one of the placards read.
Though, they were denied access into the
premises, the players insisted to see the
governor until the commissioner for Youth
and Sports Development in the state, Mr.
Atsu Okang, eventually came to address
them.
According to the lead protester, every
attempt to draw the governor’s attention
towards their plight proved abortive, over
the past one year.
However, before filing in this report, no
official comment could be gotten from the
commissioner for youth and sports
development in the state, Mr. Atsu Okang.
When contacted via his mobile telephone
line, the commissioner ignored our
Correspondent’s initial call and subsequent
text message, to either confirm or debunk
the players claim.
Earlier, a source within the football circle in
the state, who preferred anonymity, told
LEADERSHIP that since the team’s former
sponsor; United Cement Company of
Nigeria (UNICEM), now Lafarge Africa,
pulled out of her sponsorship deal with the
government in July 2014; the players had
not been paid their entitlements.
According to the source, UNICEM decided
to withdraw its sponsorship when the then
management of the club was dissolved
without its input.
“UNICEM was sponsoring the club, but
when the former government dissolved the
management team of the club without
consulting them, they tactically withdrew
their sponsorship.
They have refused to
come in after the 2014 league; they
withdrew their complete sponsorship”, he
said.
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