A protest erupted on Tuesday at the Cornelia Connelly College (CCC) camp, where athletes were staying for the maiden Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), due to the non-payment of their allowances.
The festival, which is being held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, is set to conclude on Tuesday, with the closing ceremony scheduled for later in the day. Afterward, athletes will return to their respective states.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), athletes from various states, including Cross River, Abia, Imo, and Ondo, refused to leave their camps due to the unpaid allowances. Reports indicated that the athletes locked the gate to their hostel, preventing both entry and exit.
The athletes expressed concerns over the lack of official communication regarding the amount they would be paid during the festival.
An anonymous athlete spoke to reporters, stating that the amount they were expecting had not been disclosed and that it should have been paid during the event rather than after. “This is incredibly unfair. We’re the ones who made the festival possible—without us, there would have been no festival. We deserve better treatment. We have families too. Imagine, I’m going home with no money to buy anything for my family, even though people are already expecting so much from us just because we participated in this event,” the athlete said.
Another athlete, who was dissatisfied with the living conditions in the camp but had endured, said she had heard that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had allocated funds to a consultant to make the payments, but no payments had been made yet.
In a telephone interview, Sir Itiakor Ikpokpo, Co-chairman of the Main Organising Committee, blamed delays in the payment process on the Remita network system. Ikpokpo, who also serves as the consultant (DUNAMIS ICON) for the festival, appealed to athletes and officials to remain calm, assuring them that the allowances would be paid by the end of the day (Tuesday).
“Over 4,000 athletes are set to receive their payments through Remita, and their details are currently being processed by the bank,” he explained. “Many states only submitted their account details yesterday (Monday), but we will ensure that everyone is paid. Once the details are uploaded, the payments will be processed, and at least six states should receive their payment today.”
Ikpokpo further explained that the NDDC, as the sponsor of the festival, had made all necessary arrangements, including the allocation of allowances, and assured that there was no cause for concern.
