Heartland Players Block Okorocha’s Convoy Over Unpaid Salaries

Players of the Nigeria Women’s Professional League side, Heartland Queens, Monday blocked Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha’s convoy from entering the Government House in Owerri.

The players were protesting over their unpaid seven months salaries.

The placard-carrying protesters stormed the main entrance to the government house chanting anti-government slogans.

The governor, who drove himself to the Government House, was forced to alight from his car to address the footballers clutching placards, which read, “We are the breadwinners of our families; We are suffering, Government of Imo State, pay us our seven months’ salaries; and Our dear governor, please listen to your children.”

After listening to the complaints of the players, Okorocha, who assured them that their demands would be met, assigned one of his aides, Edna Njoku, to discuss with the protesters and give him the feedback.

The captain of the Owerri side, Best Osuji, told our newsmen at the scene that they were not also happy with the team manager, Charity Enwerem, because she allegedly refused to draw the state government’s attention to their plight.

Osuji said “Since we won the amateur league playoffs and qualified for the Nigerian the top flight, the state government has abandoned us. We don’t have a camp, and they have kept us in the stadium without any care. 

“We go to matches late and we play on empty stomachs, yet they want us to produce good results.”