It was a refreshing moment when news of the payment of the arrears of players of Real Tamale United (RTU) was made public. Several news portals reported same with pomp and pageantry and social media trends on the story lasted for hours as it went viral.
However, inside sources within the team have revealed the creation of further deep cracks this payment has created which if not handled properly will worsen the team’s already shaky run in the Ghana Premier League.
My sources within tells me of a discussion with Pishigu Lana Alhaji Alhassan Andani about the team’s financial woes and how he offered to talk to other well-meaning northerners to assist. After suffering from inadequate finances for a long time in silence head coach Shaibu Ibrahim Tanko made it public when the team lost 0-4 to Ashantigold in Obuasi. He also said the team suffered from fatigue after travelling the whole night and arriving in Obuasi at dawn.
So based on the discussion with Pishigu Lana, budgets for the arrears of the players, management and technical team were prepared separately and submitted to him. Later on, mobile money contact numbers of players were requested and which was subsequently submitted.
Deep throat sources within have confirmed that the monies that were paid was put together with the efforts of Pishigu Lana Alhaji Alhassan Andani. It said these were contributions from Ibrahim Mahama (GH₵ 100,000), Dr. Alhassan Tampuli who is also Member of Parliament for Gushegu (GH₵ 50,000).
Now, the challenges started when the money that was supposed to have been paid to players’ mobile money numbers was now carried to Tamale by an aide to Ibrahim Mahama and paid to players even without the knowledge of management members. And the questions that arises are; why that approach? Is it the case of lack of trust for management members for the money to have been paid while they were present?
To make matters worse when the payment was done, stories of it that went viral on several portals named Ibrahim Mahama and Dr. Nashiru Issahaku as those who had contributed the said amount. Dr. Alhassan Tampuli’s name was conspicuously missing.
My understanding is that the Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Shaibu Shaani also backtracked on his resolve to pay the players their winning bonus for the 3-2 win against Berekum Chelsea because of these developments.
I maintain that it is time to call for cool heads among all the stakeholders and put the team’s interest first. The team’s relegation battle should be paramount in all the dealings of the various ‘camps’ within the team. What is important right now is the cagey encounter between RTU and Medeama SC in Tarkwa on Sunday.
