By Gbenga Sodeinde
Following the report courtesy of a privately owned blog shared with the intent of stirring up controversy regarding Ekiti United football club, the Ekiti state chapter of the Players Union of Nigeria has frowned at the series of lies cooked up by the blogger to discredit the management of the state owned team.
Chairman of the Players Union, Seun Omoya in a statement issued in Ado urged the public to be wary of unsubstantiated news flying only on social media but definitely not on any verified nor authorised media outfit in the country.
The Players Union, Ekiti state chapter urged the brain behind the controversial report to retrace his step by being more professional and reaching out to constituted authority to verify any information rather than circulating distorted news.
Omoya noted that there was no exodus of players at Ekiti United as speculated by the so called blog freekiick.com and its allies and cohorts as records have it that 60% of the squad paraded last season are still on the books of Ekiti United.
He stressed that what the blogger termed exodus was rather a good development for Ekiti United fc and Ekiti state at large as several top clubs have been calling for the services of some outstanding players of Ekiti United during the 2021 NNL season adding that only a club that does not want its players to progress in their career will not allow them to move to NPFL teams from the NNL.
He challenged the blogger to be more precise about the allegations leveled against the management of the team rather than speculating and also mention names of all the players who have left Ekiti United for smaller teams.
Omoya said the news aimed at maligning the state government’s efforts was ill-timed and written out of sentiment or just to attract attention from the public and gain more viewership as Ekiti United was one of the very few teams in Nigeria where players were paid monthly salaries promptly even before the league started and when Coronavirus pandemic affected the global economy while other benefits were also not left out.
On players welfare, the Players Union said things can only get better as the management had done its best to meet the needs of the players by providing accommodation for those that wanted to stay in the hostel.
The chairman, Nigeria Players Union, Ekiti state chapter said the union was doing the needful to protect the interest of active and retired footballers saying the the union will not shirk in its reesponsibilities.
He urged people especially pressmen not to be involved in acts that could cause controversy but rather do their findings and job professionally .
