As clubs get busy perfecting their strategies with addition of players ahead the commencement of the 2020/21 NPFL second stanza, Heartland FC is rather bedevilled with power tussle.
Just last week, this paper reported the mass exodus of players who decided to look elsewhere over back log of unpaid salaries among other welfare issues, the club over the weekend was hit with another crisis as the Sports Commissioner, Hon Dan Chike Ogu made a press release that the club’s General Manager, Hon Ifeanyi Chukwudi has been suspended indefinitely.
The GM swiftly refuted the suspension statement urging the public to disregard it claiming it lacked due government procedure of exercising such act of displacing him from office.
Some stakeholders and fans of the club are worried and have watched with dismay the unsavoury drama that has continued to unfold between Heartland FC General Manager, Hon Chukwudi and the Sports Commissioner, Hon Ogu who is understood is apparently working with the Deputy Speaker of the state house of Assembly, Rt Hon Amara Iwuanyanwu and some members of the clubs Interim Committee with Sir Emma Ochiaga (Imo FA Vice Chairman) as the committee’s spokesman.
The Commissioner however didn’t just stop at the suspension of the embattled GM but has gone ahead to name the clubs General Coordinator, Mr Promise Nwachukwu (former ally of Chukwudi) as the Acting General Manager.
This disturbing power tussle over who is in charge and not in charge has been perceived in many quarters as a dangerous situation for the former league and Cup champions may plunge the well celebrated oriental side into relegation battle if a lasting solution is not preferred between the warring factions.
Reports making rounds in the media says the club’s top scorer and play maker, Samuel Nnoshiri has signed for Katsina United along side Ayo Adetola even with others looking likely to go too.
It was however observed that some of the big players of the club has refused to resume training until their unpaid salaries are settled even as LMC has named May 9th, 2021 as date for resumption of second stanza.
It is however feared that with the continued delay in the payment of players salary more players may exit the club except something is drastically done to avoid the ugly situation since no new players have been signed.
