Players Threaten Lobi Stars Over Wages

Globacom Premier League pacesetter, Lobi Stars, could run into a face-off with its players following allegation that the club is yet to pay any of its playing staff their salaries since the start of this season.
Naijaligue.blogspot.com understands that the management of the club had to resort to paying the players part of their money before the league went on break for the ongoing FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
But the players are livid that the situation at the Makurdi-based side has not improved after several promises and are reportedly threatening a mutiny if their wages are not paid before the resumption of the league on November 18.
The club resumes its campaign this season in a Week Six game to Ocean Boys in an away fixture.
Players at the club are complaining that they are yet to get a dime from their salaries or signing-on fees since the Premier League kicked off in September this year.
However, Naijaligue.blogspot.com spoke to Lobi Stars’ spokesman, Bestman Joji, on the development and he admitted that the club is indebted to the players though he promised that the management is ready to offset it before the restart of the championship later this month.
Joji explained that the takeover of the club through a three-year lease by a consortium led by businessman, Richard Edewor, is still being ironed out to ensure that the grey areas in the deal do not “make nonsense of the plan before it even starts.”
The image-maker of Lobi Stars did not hide his concern over the welfare of the players and believes that the issue would be settled before the campaign resumes in 11 days.
Bestman also tried to paint Lobi Stars’ reputation as one of the clubs in the country that owes its playing staff.
“I believe that the club will settle this matter before the start of the league again this month. The management is not happy about owing the players because Lobi Stars is one of the few clubs in the country that does not owe players,” he told Naijaligue.blogspot.com.
It is believed that the failure to iron out grey areas in the three-year lease deal between the Benue State government and Edewor’s group may have stalled plans to bring in money from sponsorship for the time being.
At the same time, the new management is yet to get any kind of financial assistance from the state government, which has reportedly spent more than N300 million on the club.