By Amaechi Agbo

As Federal government and ministry of sports continue to hold contact sports hostage following their refusal to uplift ban on sports generally, (despite reopening all other sectors of the economy including schools), Nigeria Professional Football League side, Heartland FC of Owerri, Imo State, are yet to beginning training, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

Although the ban on contact sports in the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that have afflicted the world, our correspondent gathered that as other NPFL clubs have began training and playing warmup matches to get their players fit ahead of the 2020/2021 season, the Owerri based side are yet to begin theirs.

The situation, according to an impeccable source who spoke to our correspondent is not unconnected with the intractable crisis rocking the management of the club.

“Believe me we are not doing our programmes anymore because during this lockdown there were programmes given to the players at their homes because they need to keep fit.

“But when you have not paid a player for four months then, we find out that we will not be talking about Training sessions,” the source said.

The source noted that the key issue in the club at the moment is how to ensure that the players survived the pandemic adding that they have not been paid for months and the players and technical crew are not finding the situation rosy.

“Instead, we were talking about how they will get their money especially during the lockdown. Most of them, their kids were sick and we were running up and down trying to make sure that they take care of their families.

“So in that condition, you will not be telling anybody about training but looking for a way to make sure that they get back to their feat because it is when you are alive, then you can talk about football,” the source who pleaded anonymity concluded.

The Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma over the week appointed the management of the club including the Chairman and General Manager.

Governor Uzodinma reappointed Ifeanyi Chukwudi as the General Manager while Barr. Charles Ezekwem was appointed as the chairman

The Naze Millionaires have been without leadership for the past one year following the tussle for the soul of the club.

It will be recalled that Ifeanyi Chukwudi was allegedly suspended by the former Management Board led by Barr. Charles Ezekwem.

But our correspondent gathered that the two men have been entangled in battle of supremacy over who controls the club.

Information have it that Charles Ezekwem has, just like in the past, under Gov Emeka Ihedioha, has insisted on running the club on a day to day basis, a move which the club’s General Manager, Chukwudi Ifeanyi is not comfortable with.

A very competent source disclosed that at least three members of the new board who are opposed to their “hijacking” the role of the GM have threatened not to serve if the situation remains the same.

According to source, the interim board members spent the whole of Wednesday night at Government House arguing over who should run the club.

 It was gathered that Uzodimma had during the inauguration made it clear that the interim board should not usurp the role of the club management headed by the General Manager.

It would be noted that the “war” between Ezekwem and the General Manager dates back to when Ihedioha made the initial appointments.