Chairman of Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi, Dominic Iorfa, has reacted to the report that he was under threat to be sacked by the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, over allegations of fund mismanagement saying, that he is not bothered because he is open and transparent in all he is doing.
According to Iorfa, “I am the best club chairman in the league today. I am the only club that does not pay sign on fee and we don’t buy players on transfer. This is the standard we have run in the last four years.
“Let me tell you, the people behind the players’ protest to the Government House only embarrassed the state government. They are saboteurs. We know them and they know themselves. They’re enemies of the club. Must they destroy Dominic Iorfa or Lobi Stars FC if they must take his position?
They are surfacing because they think with a new government in the state they can bamboozle their lies and ways.
Their allegations are that I embezzled two months salaries of the players. Two months salaries will amount to N32million. How on earth can that be possible and the government which would have released the salaries keep quiet.
Apart from Nasarawa United FC of Lafia and Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi, tell me which government club is not owing in the Premier League.
The players were sponsored to do the so-called protest. Why are they sabotaging the club? When they went, the governor told them the position of things and it tallied with what I had told them earlier. I advise them to stop blackmailing me.
“We are one of the highest paying clubs in the country. Do your investigations. I have players who earn as low as N100,000 and they are players from my youth team. Yet, I have those who earn N200,000 and as high as N300,000. So, what are they talking about?
You can’t compare Lobi with Taraba which is owing 10 months, or El-kanemi which is owing 10 months, nor Bayelsa. Even Warri Wolves where the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, comes from is massively owing players
Asked to assess his performance since he started handling the club, he said: “My governor has promised improved funding for next season and we have promised to win the league.
“Since the Nigeria Premier League started in 1998, how many clubs have won the league? Lobi Stars won the first edition. Only four clubs have shared the honours and we can be counted. Is it not a record and achievement?
“My own son also plays professional football somewhere. It is the standard of behaviour I pray he has that I give to players in my club. I have and will never take players’ monies. What will I do with players’ money? Don’t I have my own? It is people who think they can do negative campaign to take my position that are behind all these,”he said.