N21.8m Debt: Select/Emeks Sports slam Heartland FC with N100m lawsuit

Published: December 07, 2021

Denmark based sportswear company, Select and Emeks Sports/Boutique have dragged Heartland FC before High Court of Imo State in the Owerri judicial division with case No: H.O.W.912/2021.

The suit which was filed by the complainants on October 9, 2021 through Collins Iwuorie & Associates claimed that Heartland FC are owing Select and Emeks sports N21.8 million being for supply of football kits from 2019 till date.

Speaking with alllnigeriasoccer.com, sole representative of Select sports company in Africa and Managing Director of Emeks Sports Limited, Ifeanyi Ekwueme stated that all efforts made by them for Heartland to pay proved abortive, hence they had no choice but to drag the Owerri outfit to court in the bid to recover their money.

" We have finally sued Heartland for breach of contract, while the police will sue them for criminal breach of contract," Ekwueme began.

The ex-Nigeria international continued : " This case had been previously reported to Salisu Abubakar led League Management Company (LMC) and as a result, Heartland were fined N1 million for breaching of dressing code against MFM FC earlier in the year.

"This is because they dressed in Puma jerseys instead of Select whom they have three years contract with.

"We have also sent copies of the suit letter to NFF which is expected to be forwarded to CAF and FIFA court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"This matter was also reported to the Imo FA, whose chairman, Amanze Uchegbulam advised they should pay me before the case will get worse but they ignored him.

"Heartland should however be rest assured that we are going to do everything within the ambit of the law, to ensure we recover our money from them.

"It's ridiculous that we have a three year contract with them which was signed and approved by the General Manager (Ifeanyi Chukwudi) who runs the club week in, week out and yet their legal adviser is claiming the contract was not approved by Heartland board.

"We have all the necessary documents as well as copies of existing contract with Heartland to tender as evidence to all our transactions and we are looking forward to a fair hearing from the court as soon as possible ."

The case would be due for hearing before Hon. Justice T.E. Chukwuemeka Chikeka on December 17, 2021 to charges of breach of contract and Heartland FC could cough out a whopping sum of N100 million if found guilty by the court.

Meanwhile, all efforts made by alllnigeriasoccer.com to contact Heartland FC acting General Manager, Promise Nwachukwu to respond on the issue proved abortive as he did not take his calls at the time of going to the press.

Ephraim Nwosu