Several staff members of Enyimba Football Club of Aba took to the streets of Umuahia, the capital of Abia State in demonstration of their discontent with ‘illegal sack’ in the club, News About Nigeria reports.
The protest was reportedly organized to voice their opposition to the purported “illegal termination” of their employment by the club’s new management, which is led by former Super Eagles Captain, Nwankwo Kanu.
The protesting workers held placards and chanted songs while urging Abia State Governor, Alex Otti to step in and address the issue.
They presented a letter dated August 9, 2023, titled “Protest letter to Governor Alex Otti on illegal disengagement of Enyimba Staff,” wherein they alleged that their dismissal was orchestrated by Ifeanyi Ekwueme, the Sporting Director of Enyimba International Football Club.
According to the joint letter signed by the club’s Chief Security Officer, Ogbonnaya Agwu, and Maduka Anyaso, they were surprised that Ekwueme’s actions contradicted the directive previously issued by Governor Otti, who had refuted reports of any staff terminations.
The protesting workers cited a letter dated July 17, 2023, purportedly written by the sporting director, which had instructed them to reapply for their positions.
However, the governor had dismissed this letter and assured that no staff was being dismissed.
The workers expressed bewilderment over Ekwueme’s actions, emphasizing that the sacked officials had no allegations or queries against them.
They pointed out that the affected employees had served the club diligently for many years and questioned the justification for their abrupt dismissal.
The protesting staff members also highlighted that they were owed four months’ worth of salaries, adding to their financial difficulties.
They pleaded with Governor Otti to intervene and order their reinstatement to prevent them from facing unemployment and financial hardship.
The letter stated, “The directive telling the staff to stop work was given by Ndubuisi Ofoma on behalf of Mr. Ifeanyi Ekwueme,” bringing attention to the source of the dismissal decision.
