41 Leone Stars’ Players Receive US$10,000 Each, After Excluding 12 Players for Plots of Land!
By Abu Shaw in London (22/06/2021)
It was strange for the Sierra Leone President to even think about wanting to slash the number of Leone Stars’ players from 41 to 29 for the land gifts.
Last-minute U-turn by the Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio saw his promise realised to give monetary and land gifts to all 41 Leone Stars’ players for pipping the Squirrels of Benin. Despite behind the scenes hiccup to slyly reduce the number from 41 to 30 players for the cash and from 41 players to 29 for the land, President Bio finally changed his mind to dole out the sums of 4,100,000,000.00 Leones equivalent to 410,000.00 United States dollars and plots of land to 41 players of the National Football team Leone Stars. (Photo: The Leone Stars’ cheque).
This was after they qualified for the African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Cameroon in January 2022, after 25 years in the wilderness. Leone Stars’ historic qualification came about after defeating the Squirrels of Benin at the Lansana Conte Stadium in Conakry Guinea on Tuesday, June 15. The decisive match was played in Guinea after the African Football Confederation CAF concluded that the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown was not up to standard to host the crucial encounter.
Amid the jubilation for Leone Stars in and outside the country last week, President Bio was forced to fulfill the promise he made prior to the match in Conakry. It was at the Siaka Stevens Stadium where the President told the world that each player would be given US$10,000 each and a plot of land if they qualify Sierra Leone for Cameroon 2022. It was a motivation that did not only impress football-loving Sierra Leoneans, but they also believe the players’ upped their game after the President’s promise. But inside sources say, the President wanted to change his mind about the number of players to receive the cash and land after the Head Coach Mr John Keister had included 41 players on the list he presented to State House.
Over the weekend, the gallant Leone Stars boys lined up gleefully to receive the 4,100,000,000.00 Leones cheque and the land documents at a special dinner hosted at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown. The presidential dinner to honour the players was organised by the Sierra Leone First Lady Fatima Jabbe Bio. She was in Italy when Leone Stars pipped Benin and she childishly took on Tip Top to send her congratulatory messages to the Green, White and Blue boys. At the Bintumani Hotel, the pomp and pageantry also graced by the President, the Finance Minister Dennis Sandi, and the Sports Minister Ibrahim Nyelenkeh went well after the reduction of the number of players for the honour was ignored. The National Football team Head Coach John Keister, his assistant Obi Metzger, Director of Football Mohamed Kallon among others were also proudly present to grace the ceremony. (Photos: Leone Stars).
President Bio himself distributed the documents for the plots of land to each player, even though, the latest reports say only 29 players received the promised land leaving out 12 including Rodney Strasser and others. Finance Minister Dennis Sandi presented the cheque of four billion one hundred million Leones (Le4,100,000,000.00) to Sports Minister Ibrahim Nyelenkeh who in turn handed it over to the Leone Stars players and the officials for distribution.
Inside sources say the realisation of President Bio’s promise was not smooth sailing. The government had wanted to cut the number of players to receive the money and the land from 41 to 30 and from 41 to 29 respectively. This was confirmed by Sierra Leone’s most listened-to social media activist Adebayor who exposed the government’s plan. Adebayor was furious that the SLPP government had planned to reduce the number. In his audio yesterday, the critical Adebayor said only 29 players received their documents for the land. Twelve players including Rodney Strasser, Simbo, etc only received the cash but not the land, reports say.
Adebayor further warned that it was just a Cheque and not physical cash that was given to the players. “The cheque could bounce as we all know that the Bank of Sierra Leone is broke, according to the Bank Governor Dr Keifala Kallon. Reports say the plots of land given to the players are located in Kent. Adebayor then advised the recipients to sell or develop their land as soon as possible in order to prevent another scenario where the next government would seize them as was done to some Leone Stars’ players in the 90s after the NPRC military junta of Valentine Strasser gave them the plots of land but were seized by the incoming civilian government. The Organiser newspaper, however, congrats President Bio for sticking to his promise!
