Tornadoes’ Players Go On Strike

Players of Niger Tornadoes on Monday evening downed tool in protest over their signing-on fees and match bonuses, Naijaligue.blogspot.com can reveal.

The players refused to train from Tuesday after defeating Kwara United two-nil at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna, and they have said they would shun Sunday’s game against Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) in Ibadan.

“The management owes us signing-on fees,” began a player, who wants to remain anonymous. “We started our strike since Monday evening after beating Kwara United 2 – 0. They have only paid us just 10 per cent of our signing-on fees since the start of the season and nobody is saying anything about the remaining. And we have match bonuses that are yet to be paid too.”

In a bid to end the ongoing strike at the club, the management led by its chairman, Suleiman David, met with the players on Thursday morning to address them on the current situation at the club.

Naijaligue.blogspot.com understands that the club has promised the players that in a matter of days it would pay 20 per cent to them as well as five match bonuses.

It is also understood that the Niger State government released the sum of N40 million to the club for the prompt payment of the 20 per cent as well as five match bonuses.

The management of the club gave the breakdown for the expenditure of the N40 million saying that the 20 per cent contract fees of the players would gulp N30 million while N2 million.

The remaining N8 million would be left in the purse of the club for other expenditure pending when the Niger State government makes available the sum of N80 million to offset the remaining 70 per cent contract fees.