Kano Pillars players, officials plan to go on strike

By 

Abdulgafar Oladimeji

Players of the NPFL side, Kano Pillars football are toying with the idea of proceeding with industrial action to protest what they described as the nonchalant attitude of the owners of the club towards their welfare.

Insiders in the team revealed that the players already held a series of splinter clandestine deliberations on how to curb their plight, where they resolved to down tools to attract the attention of their employers towards the numerous troubles ravaging the former back to back league champions.

An impeccable source said “we are all tired of what is happening in the club, we travelled to Benue without a kobo given to the players, for their welfare.

“currently the backlog of match allowances unpaid are there, what is now worrisome is the inability to give the players their usual feeding allowances, if players cannot be given the small token they are paid as feeding allowances, then your guess is as good as mine.”

“even the club officials are not in a good state of mind,  their psychology is down and low morally, we have all agreed not to step out of Kano anymore, except our dues are given to us, the suffering in the team is becoming unbearable.

“I doubt, if we will not be embarrassed by the hotel owners, here in Benue we checked into the hotel and we have not paid and may not be able cannot pay if the feelers we are getting is true, funds are not available and plan to borrow and send to us to pay our bills have failed, so far,  we may end up been embarrassed, here in Benue.

Our source said the players and officials are aggrieved and have vowed not to honour either their home matches in Katsina and will not hit the roads to honour their away fixtures, except their bills are settled upfront.

Our source said “ we came to Benue, the hotel we stayed is on credit, next we are playing against Katsina, we can not continue like this, we have to act so that the whole world will know what we are going through, because it is like, those handling the club are not telling the owners of the team the true situation in the team, we think something is wrong and seriously wrong with the whole settings, in terms of funding.

Investigations revealed that the club managers, who recently resorted to heavy borrowing to fund the club have ran out of favour before their lenders, who have declined to advance further loans to the club, they are demanding that the outstanding debts should be settled.

Further checks reveal that the players and officials have unanimously resolved to down tools, couple with informing the public about their plight through the media, in their quest to change the financial misfortune that is presently threatening to drown the club.

 

A source said “ this time,   unlike in the past, when we had gone on strike and it was hidden from the eyes of the media, this time, we are going to inform the media about it, so that the issues would be in the public domain.

“We feel abandoned, we won the AITEO cup till today nobody, nobody have come to say thank you for a job well done, this not how sports is ran, when you win, you should be given the recognition and motivation, you deserved, honestly things in the club is getting from bad to worse.

Kano Pillars, who fought gallantly to secure an away 0-0 draw against Lobi Stars have maintained a troubled campaign in the ongoing domestic league season.

Sai Masu Gida, who have continued to swim in troubled waters this season,  are operating under the burden of huge debt, despite the N76 million package released to the club by its owners and funders, the Kano state government.

Sunday’s away point is far from ushering succour to the troubled minds in the club, in the coming weeks, it is uncovered that the club may be heading towards making headlines for reasons that may make of mar Sai Masu Gida, among fans and keen observers it is the belief that the state government that harbours the magic wand that can salvage the sinking club from its present predicaments,  our correspondent gathered.