Dominic Iorfa, the chairman of Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi, was recently accused by one of his contemporaries in Benue State, Moses Kpakor, of high-handedness and financial impropriety in the running of the club. The former Super Eagles striker, who was in the last board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was also alleged to be running the club like a private property, and driving away anybody who tries to assist the club to success. In But fielding questions from JOSEPH WANTU, Iorfa talks on the alleged problems of Lobi Stars, and addresses the issues raised against him.FOR over 11 years, Lobi Stars has been one of the leading clubs in Nigeria, with the 1999 season, when it won he Nigeria Premier League title, and 2003, the year it won the FA Cup, being its best seaso0ns since its inception.But recently, the club was in the news for the wrong reasons. One of its former officials, Moses Kpakor, a former Super Eagles midfielder, accused the Vice Chairman of the club, Dominic Iorfa, among other things, of misappropriating monies accruing from players' sales, high-handedness and irrational handling of his relationship with other stakeholders in the club. .Kpakor also alleged that Iorfa was conniving with top Benue State government officials to run Lobi Stars aground and in the process ensured that the club did not rise above the mid-table level it occupies in Nigerian football.But in Makurdi on Thursday, the former Queens Park Rangers striker said the allegations were concocted by 'frustrated individuals,' who see him as the architect of all their problems.According to Iorfa, 'Lobi Stars is there for anybody, who wishes to investigate the affairs of the club. Nothing is hidden because everything we do is according to the mandate given to us. I don't usually waste my time answering questions on allegations by people like Moses Kpakor, but this one is different because he is accusing me of misusing Lobi Stars' funds.'He alleged that I sold Lobi players to foreign clubs without remitting the money to the club, but that is one of the lies people like him have been spreading around.'Lets look at Lobi Stars from this perspective: First and foremost, Benue State is not as rich as Bayelsa, Oyo and other southern states. So, whatever we have we use judiciously. Since 2008, we have never sold any player and collected money from any club for our own personal gain. Lobi is a club that has many officials. Kpakor said I sold Timothy Anjembe, and Isiaka Olawale, but I must say that he is saying that because he is frustrated..'Kpakor is an ingrate; and only God will judge him for all the lies he has been spreading about me despite all that I have done for him over the years.' .Iorfa claimed that when Kpakor broke his leg while playing for BCC Lions of Gboko, 'he came to live with me in UK, and much of the bills BCC promised to pay for him, which they could not do, thousands of pounds, I paid them and up till now he has not refunded the money to me.'He said that Kpakor started to fight him when he brought him to work with him in Lobi Stars. 'Governor Gabriel Suswam, during one of our meetings, told him in clear terms that he is the chairman and I am the vice chairman and that because of his tight schedules, all the club affairs should be channeled to me. .'Unfortunately, Kpakor failed to realize that. He felt we were equal and so he could do anything without getting permission from me. Even though Kpakor was my teammate both in the Super Eagles and BCC Lions, one person must be a leader and God has chosen me to be their leader now. So I wonder why Kpakor has refused to accept God's design.'Iorfa dismissed Kpakor's allegation that Lobi Stars get N10 million annually from the Globacom sponsorship of the league, saying the sponsorship issue was an open thing known by every follower of the Nigerian league.He said: 'Lobi Stars is just one among the 20 teams in the league sponsored by Globacom; it has been around since Globacom started the sponsorship in 2006/2007 football season. So it is easy for anybody to find out from other clubs like Enyimba, Heartland, Kano Pillars, Gombe United, Sharks, among others, if we have been getting N10 million annually.'To the best of my knowledge, the last time clubs got sponsorship money was in 2007/2008 football season. So, I don't know where Kpakor got his N10 million annual figure from.'Speaking on his alleged plot in connivance with some Benue State government officials to scuttle the establishment of a football academy in the state after Governor Suswam had approved the project, Iorfa challenged Kpakor to mention the names of the government officials that aborted the project.Shedding some light on the aborted academy, Iorfa said the project did not succeed because the promoters were not sincere with the proposal. .According to him: 'What happened was that Kpakor brought some expatriates to Makurdi in respect of an academy and during the meeting with government officials, he was asked of my input into the project. Rather than telling them the truth, Kpakor lied that I traveled out of the country, and the officials knew I was around. .'In fact, I met with him and the expatriates 10 minutes before he went in for the meeting. I want people to know that during that time, I was a board member of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), which by implication, meant that I represented the whole of the North Central Zone and deserved to know things happening in the zone and my state. He thought he could do it without me, and when he failed, he turned around to accuse me of scuttling his project.'Iorfa also dismissed as a lie, the allegation that he has driven fans away from the Aper Aku Stadium, saying that Lobi Stars, like most other Nigerian sides, is suffering the effects of the English Premiership popularity among Nigerian fans.He said: 'Since 2002, European clubs have taken over the activities of football in Nigeria. These fans now support the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, among others.'And unfortunately, matches in Nigeria are played on Saturdays and Sundays and Nigerians will rather watch Manchester United against Liverpool, or Arsenal against Chelsea than come to the stadium to watch Lobi Stars.'I am not the cause of the supporters not coming to the stadium. After all, apart from Enyimba of Aba and Kano Pillars, no other Nigerian premier club boasts supporters or fans at the moment.' .On the claims that he drove away everybody that worked in Lobi Stars since he became the chief accounting officer, Iorfa said, 'this allegation is not true and uncalled for because I have never tried to go it alone at any time.'.'For example, I brought Peter Ogaba, Barnabas Imenger, and even Moses Kpakor to come and work with me. About coaches, Godwin Uwua worked with me and left on his own when he had a bigger offer in the 2004 season. Evans Oganyi also left unceremoniously for Enyimba for a better offer.'By better offer I mean, for example, Lobi may offer N500, 000 monthly and N5 million sign on fee, while Enyimba will counter it with N1 million and N10 million respectively. Those two coaches left unceremoniously; I did not sack them.'On his relationship with Sunshine Stars boss, Mike Idoko, Iorfa said: 'I am not against Mike Idoko in any way but all I ask from him is respect. I respect him, and expect same from him rather than for him to plot my downfall..'I know that in the first edition of the Premier League in 1999, Lobi Stars won with him at the helm of affairs through the National Super Four League..'He should also acknowledge that I won the National FA Cup in 2003 as the chairman of Lobi Stars. I can't imagine why Mike Idoko would want to destroy a club that he contributed in building and then expect me to keep quiet about it. After all, he is an indigene of Benue State. Lobi Stars is bigger than any individual, no matter how highly placed that person thinks he is. That is a fact.'Sunshine was caught with referees in their official vehicle on their way to Bauchi to officiate a home match of Lobi Stars. All these and his associates want me to keep quiet. I don't know where I have offended Idoko and Moses Kpakor; I sincerely hope they tell me where I have gone wrong."
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