Retired players of the Spartans Football Club of Owerri (now known as Heartland FC) have been forced to take their case to the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, after many years of waiting on the pension board as they have been owed for over four months.
The Imo pensioners recently took to the streets to protest the non-payment of their gratuities which was aimed at drawing the attention of the government to their plight.
The agitated ex-footballers explained: “We are more than 40 former players of Spartans and many other retired workers of the Imo State Sports Council, who have not received our pension for four years. Some have not even seen theirs for more than six years”.
“Many of us have resorted to begging on the streets because it is difficult to survive in this country now without money. These are people, who were treated as heroes a few years ago now reduced to beggars. It is the worst thing that can happen to a man.”
“We understand that the government is trying to fish out ghost workers, but we plead they treat our case before we all die. We have lost some colleagues to hardship. The times are hard, especially with the scourging coronavirus menace, this is our only means of livelihood, quick action is needed from the government in no time before we lose more of our colleagues,’ they pleaded.
