A Rivers Niger Delta Sports promoter and Philanthropic, Chief Comrade Ateke Tom have admonished Rivers State Government to sign contract with the state athletes that are preparing for Paradise Games at Calabar, come November, 2014.
The well known agitator of the Niger Delta and now a maverick sports promoter spoke with The Newswriter sports exclusively via phone when he heard that Rivers cyclists are poised to dumb Rivers State for other states that have better prospect for them.
He said that the Rivers State government should endeavor to sign a contract to guide the cyclists and the entire team to secure the mind of the athletes for the ultimate performance for result.
According to him, the Amaechi led Rivers State government could not tell Rivers people that the state has no money to pay it athletes or bank role its projects.
He stressed that from the records, the Rivers cyclists are just the best in the Nigeria Cyclist Federation as they have enough gold medals in their kitty more than any other states in Nigeria.
Advising the state government to seek for a solution to pay the cyclists and every other Rivers athletes the money due them so as to make them happy to compete for the state for more laurels.
“It is not good for Rivers state to lose medals that ought to come to the state to go to other states, let the state seek for a way to settle the athletes”
The Rivers State cyclists shortly after winning almost all the medals available at the just concluded 9th garden city cycling championship in Port Harcourt on the 9th of February, 2014 cried out to our sports desk saying they are poised to dumb Rivers State for other states that have a much more better prospect for them.
According to them, the state government does not recognize their efforts as they do not have scholarship, good salary pay package and contract deal for them.
They further pointed out that uptil now, the state government does not consider them (the cyclists) good enough to sign a contract with the cyclists who have been competing and winning all the medals for the state.
Its even more pitiable to see other states cyclists whom they believed they are better than signing contract with their states.
They mentioned Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers and Abia States as states that had a better welfare package for their cyclists. ###
