Heartland goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa has confirmed that players of the club are being owed three months salary arrears.
The Punch had reported on Thursday that Heartland, Sunshine Stars and FC Ifeanyiubah owed their players a three-month salary backlog.
And Ezenwa corroborated the reports in an interview on Lagos-based station Lagos Talks.
“Yes, truly speaking they’ve not paid and most of my colleagues they’ve been calling, I’m the assistant captain of the team and I feel bad and I know it’s not easy,” Ezenwa said. “They are owing for December, March and April.”
The goalkeeper who is in his second stint with the Naze Millionaires having moved from Katsina United at the start of the season said internal management issues were likely to blame for the delay.
The 31-year-old Super Eagles goalie lamented the hardships wrought by the delayed payment which he said has been exacerbated by the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Though there were like there are some issues in the team which I’m trying to know what is happening [but] they keep telling us that when they sort out everything they are going to pay because I know Heartland as a team that never owes players money or anything but this situation that we find ourselves it has not been easy.
“A colleague of mine Chidi Akuneto his wife gave birth during this pandemic situation, it was not easy for him but I keep trying to make them understand that we should just keep calm and it is going to be over and if there is a problem happening I believe very soon they will settle everything and pay all our arrears.”
Ezenwa revealed the club promised to offset by the end of the week but expressed doubts about the possibility of that happening.
He, however, expressed a strong belief that the club would pay up all outstanding salaries in the near future.
“Presently now they are still working on it because they are trying to assure us that this week and this week is almost over so I don’t know how my colleagues out there [cope] because it has not been easy for me too.
“I’ve played Heartland a decade ago and with what everybody knows Heartland they say Heartland never owes but this period of time, when we are facing these challenges when it is over everybody will get their complete money.”
