First Bank Club Short-Changed Me – Adeola Wylie
The 2011 African club playoffs in Nigeria saw First Bank pros staging a walkout midway. One of the players who is now based in the United States told PIUS AYINOR that it was all about cash.
The Elephant Girls, as the First Bank team is known, have always been envied for their dominance of the Nigerian women basketball. But the entrance of First Deepwater girls a few years ago altered the atmosphere as they have joined the likes of Dolphins and Sunshine Angels to challenge their ranking. Once upon a time too, they were challenged and overthrown by Eko Fliers and the Customs but the competition then was not as balanced as it is now.
On the continent, the Elephant Girls relied on their players in US schools and other available professionals from that region. It had always worked out smoothly as they have won the African cup twice but the last edition was not so smooth as spectators witnessed their refusal to play at the National Stadium, Lagos. Many people suspected what could have gone wrong but only few knew exactly what was wrong until Adeola (Olarenwaju) Wylie – one of the pros from the US told her own side of the story.
She said, “I landed in Nigeria on November 8, 2011. I came in early because I was supposed to help First Bank play in the prelims for the continental competition. Prior to my arrival, I spoke with Coach Aderemi Adewunmi about the professional fees in which he told me what we will be paid to play in both prelims and continental. Before I continue, let me say that this is my third time playing for First Bank and I never had any issues over my payment in the past. The agreement has never been in writing but now I know it was a mistake on my part to have worked with just verbal agreement. They had always taken good care of us.
“A few days after I touched down, we received word that the qualifiers had been cancelled. It was neither the bank’s fault nor the players. Concerned, my fellow teammates from US and I asked about our compensation since we would not be playing in the prelims and we were assured by Aderemi that they will pay since that was the main reason we came to Nigeria so early. If we had any hint that we won’t be paid we would have left because myself and the other two US-based players also play professionally abroad, so it would not have made sense to be in Nigeria so early to only be compensated for a tournament that was to hold the following month.
“The procedure in the past for First Bank was once the foreign-based players arrived, we were usually accommodated in a hotel within three days of landing in Nigeria but that was not the case this time. We stayed at the First Bank hostel for over three weeks, with literally brown water and poorly serviced toilet system. We didn’t receive our feeding money until three weeks after landing, meaning we were using our own money to eat. We were forced to shower with brown water, wash our clothes with this same water or purchase ‘pure’ water to bath and do the necessary procedures to stay healthy and clean. When we asked the manager, Ngozi Iwuanyanwu, what the problem was, the answers were only consolatory and not problem-solving.
“Finally, as players we were forced to strike and refused to practice for about four days, which was embarrassing and a waste of time on our part because as professional athletes we could have been making money playing elsewhere.
But Iwuanyanwu told THE PUNCH that “It was not really as Adeola has complained,” He said, “Adeola couldn’t have been speaking for all of them because her attitude was exceptional. I pleaded and explained to her in details but while the others tried to listen and appreciate the situation, she just refused to.
“She wanted to be paid fully for the competition which did not hold any more. They were compensated with $1, 000 pay for that and the full $3,000 for the competition but she insisted she had to be fully paid for the prelims too. It was nobody’s fault that the competition was cancelled.”
Adeola who played as Olarenwaju in her first outing for Nigeria at the 2006 World Championship in Brazil before her marriage said they arrived in Lagos before it was cancelled and that they were asked to stay on which meant she could not earn money elsewhere.
She said, “After striking, the entire team went up to the First Bank office to discuss the issues with Mr Nelson Uduak and two other officials. I personally expressed my concerns, telling him that this was the worst experience ever with the club, and I could not trust them anymore. We asked about the cancelled prelims and he stated we would get a percentage since we didn’t play. We told him it was not acceptable because we were here early so even though it was not their fault that the qualifiers got cancelled, but it also wasn’t our fault that we were in Nigeria so early. He eventually obliged to pay, but kept stating we didn’t play. He never answered any questions but instead danced around the questions. I asked to be paid or sent back home at which they assured us things will be sorted out.
“But days passed and nothing happened. We went on strike and in one of the days ran into Nelson at the training ground and again promised to sort things out. After days of waiting we decided to officially complain to the media but dropped the idea at the plea of Aderemi. We ended up going to Eko Hotel on Victoria Island to speak with Ms. Folake (I have forgotten her surname) over the issues. And for the first time we got prompt response as our feeding allowances were paid that day and we were transferred to a hotel.”
When our correspondent spoke with Mr. Nelson Uduak, he said the claims of Adeola were not true. He had earlier claimed that he didn’t know her and that she never complained to him.
He said, “I am surprised that she could tell you she was cheated because it is not true. I will advise her to put it in writing and send it in so that we can address every issue raised.”
Our correspondent spent 10 minutes and 16 seconds on the telephone with Mr Uduak but the greater part was spent by him trying to educate Adeola on how to lay complaints.
“I am sorry we started that way and that was because I had never met you and in these days, one has to be careful. Adeola was a difficult person to deal with but in all fairness we met our obligations to her. But if she has issues which she didn’t tell, it will be better for her to write us so that we can address them,” he added.
Adeola told our correspondent, “The major issue was the compensation for the cancelled prelims. Ngozi, handed us part of the money after we played the first game of the continental but it was far less. She said we would receive the remainder before the tourney was finished. Aderemi felt awful because he assured us things will be okay and it didn’t work out. Folake was understanding and tried to do her best for us in the given situation. But it was different with the others. I can no longer bear it and that is why I had to cry out.”
source: punchng
