Bayelsa State Athletes Barricade Treasury House Over Non Payment Of Rewards

Bayelsa State Athletes Barricade Treasury House Over Non Payment Of Rewards

Bayelsa State athletes who participated in the 18th National Sports Festival last year in Abuja, have on Wednesday morning barricaded the Bayelsa State treasury house to demand for the reward promised them by the state government.

The athletes who finished fifth at the sports festival carried placards with different inscriptions such as ’’Pay Us Our money’ No time again, ’’We cannot wait any longer’ A labourer is worthy of  his wages’  ‘We can’t bear the hunger anymore,’’ prevented staff of the treasury from gaining access to their offices.

Speaking on the development, a wrestling coach Holy Michael said the governor promised to pay them a total of one hundred and sixty five million naira (N165m)  in batches but has only paid some part of the money, pointing out that the last payment was incomplete and the tenure of the present government would soon come to an end.

A kick boxer Tamarakuro Tuburo popularly called Gunboat regretted that the Restoration government was yet to fulfill the promises made to the athletes which necessitated the protest.

Another Athlete Zarapas Destiny stressed that the protest was a way of notifying the government of their  plight, adding that despite the sacrifices they made for the state, they were yet to be fully rewarded.

Our correspondent reports that there was no government official present to address the athletes and that this is the fifth time the state athletes would be protesting since their return from the sports festival in Abuja, even as the Edo 2020 national sports festival is around the corner.