Want commissioner sacked PLAYERS of Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin yesterday besieged the premises of the Edo State Ministry of Youth and Sports calling for the sack of the Commissioner, Anita Evbuomwan, over the alleged non-payment of their seven months salaries, sign-on fees and match bonuses. They also protested a general lack of care from the government. The angry players held the ministry workers hostage for several hours, as they locked the gates to the main entrance to the premises, preventing workers from going in or coming out. Chanting, We want our money, commissioner must go, pay us our match bonuses, the players said they were tired of unfulfilled promises since they are the breadwinners of their families. Reacting to the players demands, Evbuomwan told The Guardian yesterday that the state government was already looking into the issues raised by the players, whose team is currently 14th in the pro-league Division One table. Assistant captain of the state-owned club, Robson Aituayuwa, said they have not been paid salaries since September 2010, match bonuses, Christmas and New Year allowances and other entitlements, adding that if their demands were met, the club would gain promotion to the premiership.According to him, the non-payment of their entitlements has rendered most of the players unable to take good care of their family needs, just as he lamented the indifference to their plight by the present state government. Aituayuwa said: Can you imagine that we were travelling to Lagos to prosecute a match and we had an accident on the way but up till now, neither the governor nor the commissioner has visited us It was Lagos State governor, who heard about it, that sent somebody to us in the hospital and the hotel where we lodged. Chairman of the club, Igbinomwanhia Ekhosuehi, who was at the ministry when the players stormed the building, urged the players to make their protest violence-free and avoid unnecessary destruction of properties. He revealed that the club has received only N3 million since September 2010 to prosecute the league this season, a situation he blamed for the clubs poor performance so far in the league. He pleaded for the release of money for payment of the players entitlements in order to boost their morale and push them to fight for promotion to the top flight this season.
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