Cyprus International University fresher Sonia Idahosa has accused her former coach, Aaron Okojie of squandering the monies allocated to her former team, Edo Dynamo for participating in the Prudent Energy Handball league last year.
In November, Idahosa was admitted on scholarship to study Business Administration in Cyprus International University and also play in the school handball team . Read https://aclsports.com/handball-sonia-idahosa-joins-cyprus-international-university/
Before her departure, Idahosa played in the Sam Ocheho Invitational tournament and also participated in the Prudent Energy Handball league last year.
“I heard our money for the league we played in Lagos was released on January 3rd and Coach Aaron Okojie and Coach Evelyn went behind us to take the money alongside our secretary Mrs Umolen. We are yet to be paid a dime,” Idahosa disclosed to ACLSports.com
Idahosa narrated her former team’s ordeal after the first phase of the league in May.
“After the first phase of the league in Abuja, we were stranded because Coach Aaron lavished all the money that was sent to him and we couldn’t go home. I practically had to write on our Edo mega veteran WhatsApp group. It was a good Samaritan, Mr Allison Okosun a former handball player that sent us money for transportation and guess what, we left camp like the following day after camp had closed. It was one Mr Muhammad Hussain that begged the camp authorities to allow us spend one night in the hostel.”
Idahosa continued,”After 3 or 4 months, they paid us just 14,000 naira instead of 21,500. Our coach told us 7500 was deducted from each player’s money and to be returned to deputy governor who he borrowed from to settle some of our bills. A league that a player is supposed to go home smiling but we went home with regret and sadness.
“Similar thing happened in the second phase in Lagos other states left camp, the soldiers there said we could lie down in the corridor but we must return our mattresses. We left Lagos at about 3-4pm because coach Aaron had no money to take us back to Benin. It was someone that I actually asked again that provided a bus for the team.”
The 23 year old revealed some figures released by the Edo State Government which never got to them.
“My Goalkeeper said 400,000 naira was released in the first phase before we travelled and our coach said nothing. But I can’t deal on hear say. The second phase we did a proper research because his lies were getting too much. We found out that a total of 550,000 naira was sent to him. A total of 350,000 naira was from Mrs Umolen the secretary and she kept sending him money that wasn’t spent on us during the tournament. He kept saying the State didn’t send him any money whenever he was asked.
The former Edo Dynamos left back said poor motivation affected their performance during the league.
“We were doing so well until this money issue came up in the first phase so we dropped from third to sixth because nobody wanted to play anymore. We didn’t want it to seem like we disobeyed him so we played. And it was the first phase that affected our second phase because we lost only one match and came out fourth all because of coach Aaron. We arrived at the competition venue same day we had a match and we arrived just one hour or 45mins before they worked us over, we eventually played but lost by one goal.”
Idahosa advised that a strict measure should be put in place to checkmate coaches who maltreat their athletes.
“It’s killing the athletes and more so because we don’t know the right source to channel all these complaints to so a drastic decision can be made. I hope the Edo State Government will look into this matter,”she concluded.
Very bad of him. A labourer deserves wages