Rumbles As N52m FA Cup Largesse Threatens To Tear Abia Warriors FC Apart

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The peace and cohesion that pervaded the camp of the Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia and propelled them to a stellar performance in Football Association, FA, cup last season appear to be deserting them fast.

This is no thanks to the alleged lopsided and unjust sharing formula applied by the Chairman of the Abia state owned club, John Obuh, in dispensing the about N52 million FA cup largesse accruing to the team.

The Source reports that the Umuahia-based Nigeria Professional Football League outfit had finished as runners up  at the last edition of the FA cup competition.

The team lost 0-2 to El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club of Maiduguri in the  final match of the 76th edition of the competition.

But their strong finish was enough to attract financial rewards from the Abia State Governor,  Dr Alex Otti, former Chief of Army Staff, Gen  Azubuike Ihejirika, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, and Engr Chinedu Onyeizu, who shelled out N35 million, N10 miillion, N5 million and N2.5 million respectively to appreciate the team.

However, the sharing of the FA cup windfall has been creating a very deep sense of resentment and agitations both among the departed players and those still  on the nominal roll of the team.

Some of the players who volunteered comments have called on the Governor Otti to wade in and compel the Chairman of the team Obuh to give them their dues.

They are insisting that having worked assiduously for the strong finish of the club, they would not tolerate any attempt by anybody to shortchange them or deny them their entitlements.

“The total number of registered players of the team during the last football season was 37 with about seven officials.

“The total of amount that the team got as donation post- FA cup final was N52 million.

“If you want to share the money fairly, an average player should be getting no less than N650,000 .

“But the sad situation is that John Obuh gave some players N400,000. He gave some us that have left for other clubs only N100,000. Even, he did not give some players  anything at all.

“Some of us (those that have left the club) were also paid our July salaries, while some others were not paid their salaries.

“Yet, all of us worked for the team until the end of the season. The issue now is: why should the Chairman give N400 000 to the players that are still in the team, and give us that have left only N100,000 when we all worked for the glory?

“Why should the Chairman withhold our money? Obuh gave nothing to players like Anaemena Ifeanyi and Arinze Ogbonna and both players were also not paid the July salary that the club paid to other players who

left the Club after the FA cup final.

“The Club did not pay Uche Moses, Ogu Jerry ,Pascal Nwabueze, Udoh Godwin , Aliyu Goyi, Arum Kingsley, Chidera Olisaegbo, Francis Ignatius and Femi Thomas their July salaries also.

“Obi Samson, Omaka Fabian, Sageer Musa, Chidera Ugwunma, Ijeh Daniel and Kelechi Nnochiri were the only six players who received their July salaries and N 100,000 gift out of 18 players who have joined other teams,”  some of the players revealed.

They have, therefore, called on Governor Otti to intervene and direct  Chairman Obuh to pay them their dues .

They are accusing the Chairman of withholding their money despite the about N20 million being kept aside from the total donated amount.

“The amount John Obuh is keeping to himself belong to the team members and so, he should give us our dues.

“The painful aspect is that even our Media Official was given N150 ,000 which is far more than what we the players got. This is unacceptable”,  one of the agitating players stated.

Efforts to reach out to the team’s Spokesperson, Solomon Igwe, were unsuccessful as at the time of reporting.

However, the man at the  centre, Obuh,  insisted that no one has any reason to accuse him any wrong doing.