AWKA – Anambra athletes to the seventh national school sports festival in Otukpo, Benue have said that the N3000 being paid to them as competition allowance was poor.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 10-day festival ended on Nov. 16.
Some of the athletes who spoke to newsmen in Awka said that the amount was far less than what they were paid in previous competitions, even when they did not perform as well as they did in Otukpo.
They further said that they were only asked to sign and not to write the sum they were paid on the payroll.
Kenechukwu Iloakagbune, who participated in athletics, said he did not understand why they were being paid N3000 after they had done the state proud.
Iloakagbune, who was a third-time participant at the school sports festival, said the sum was a disincentive to youths who wished to serve their state as sportsmen.
“After 10 days away from school and our parents, they paid us N3, 000. This is bad and the lowest I have ever recieved.
“I do not know if it is because it is the Education Ministry that is paying us. When the Sports Ministry was in-charge, we never got anything less than N6, 500 for our participation,” he recalled.
Ifeanyi Ofiah, a gymnast, said he was slapped for daring to write the sum he was paid on the payroll. He said that it was painful to be humiliated when athletes were getting allowances that were not due to them.
Ofiah called on the government of Anambra to take a closer look at the welfare of the athletes in the state because some of them took to sports as a means of helping themselves and their parents.
A female gold medallist said the treatment was unfair as there was almost nothing to show for the excellent outing, adding that no parent would be willing to allow their children to compete for the state, if it continued.
According to her, “ we were paid N1,500 for camping and N3, 000 for competition, I have collected the money but I am not happy with what they did; it is unfair. They did not even allow us to write how much they gave us,’’ she said.
One of the coaches, who wished not to be named, said the experience in Otukpo was hell, adding
- Latest
- Trending
