By Akin Bolarinwa.
Former Team Manager of Niger Tornadoes, Usman Alfa has described as utterly false claims that Niger Tornadoes is not owing Coach Abdullahi Biffo.
In a chat with Apexmedia, Usman stated that the lies peddled against Abdullahi Biffo was aimed at tarnishing the image of coach.
Usman said, “They are still owing salaries and allowances, I am aware of this because my younger brother Yakubu Alfa also played for the team in 2016 and he has not been paid till now”
The chairman of Usiak football academy believes that the Niger state government must have fulfilled its financial commitments to the club but how the club management fails to pay salaries of players and officials remains a mystery.
“I believe the government of Niger state are not aware that players and officials are being owed because we know that the governor pays as at when due”.
Recently, the Chairman of Niger Tornadoes, Adamu Aliu has been under pressure to give account of his leadership and Usman Alfa believes this is the right time to question the debt crisis rocking the club.
“Why is the chairman claiming that they are not owing Coach Biffo? If they are not owing, then they should publish the statement of account where they paid players and officials before now”.
Alfa stated that the management of Tornadoes are only trying to dish out falsehood in order to cover up the financial malpractices within the club.
“I was not the team manager when this issue came up, i was just a technical assistant to the chairman so I was not fully involved in financial activities of the club but I know when the players and officials were begging the management for their salaries”.
The respected football administrator exonerated coach Biffo from any illegal transfer of players.
“Let me also use this opportunity to clear my name too because it was alleged that i also participated in such. This is very funny, how can a coach transfer the player without the consent of the management of the club. I think it is impossible because the chairman is the sole signatory to the transfer of players”.
On Adeshina Gata transfers saga, he opined that Gata came to Niger Tornadoes on free loan and there was an agreement in place for the player to leave the club at the end of the season because he had no contract with Tornadoes and no transfer was paid before he joined them.
“LMC has the contract papers of Gata so if Niger Tornadoes has any issues with his transfer they should go back to LMC for clarifications”.
“Nigeria League club sides have had issues for a long time concerning owing players, and now, this one with Abdulahi Biffo, is another low for the Northern club”.
