By
Jack Moses Ekwe and Emmanuel Elijah

As uncertainties continue to hover around the commencement of 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season, Lobi Stars of Makurdi have sacked their backroom staff but retained head coach and players on Friday

A statement by the club’s secretary, Saawuan Terhemen said the Technical Adviser, Mohammed Ganaru and the players were retained stressing that the decision is necessary in order to reposition the club

“The reorganisation has become necessary in order to reposition the team for optimal productivity.”

The statement further added that the disengaged worker wishing to still work as staff of the club, and wish to reapply may do so.

Earlier, the management had relieved Gabriel Ogwuche of his appointment as Team Manager of the club.

Announcing the decision of the management to sports journalists during a meeting on Monday, at the Aper Aku stadium Makurdi, the Vice Chairman/CEO, Dominic Iorfa explained that, “the decision also affects all the staff of the club who were not present at the meeting, in order to have their appointment letters verified, and to ascertain its validity.

He added that, “Ogwuche too was not present at the meeting for the exercise and therefore, was stripped off his position as Team Manager of Lobi Stars FC of Makurdi.

“This is because there was no record showing that he was legally employed in the club since his appointment letrer was neither signed by the chairman nor the vice chairman of the club.

Iorfa who disclosed that Ogwuche would have to refund the ten months salary advance paid to him by the club, announced that two assistant coaches and an assistant security officer, Femi Ola Aluko, Moses Uvoughor, and James Jato respectively, were recalled for appearing in the meeting and defending their status.

Meanwhile, the sacked team manager, while reacting to the development in a telephone chat said, “I only read in a newspaper publication of my sack but no one has told me anything or issued me a letter to that effect”.