2nd Access Bank Lagos City Marathon volunteers allege cheating

The volunteers engaged for the 2nd Access Bank Lagos City Marathon on Tuesday decried what they described as “foul play’’ by the organisers of the event, alleging short payment.

The volunteers, who thronged the marathon’s office at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, told Newsverge in Lagos that they have been cheated.

The 42km race held on Feb. 11 with no fewer than 55,000 registered participants.

Some of them told Newsverge that it was unfair for the organisers to pay them N3,000 for volunteering to help at the race against the N10,000 they were promised.

Newsverge reports that military personnel and policemen were drafted to oversee the process of the payment.

Jubril Adewale, who described incident as “unfair’’, said he would never volunteer to help out in subsequent editions if the organisers could treated them unfairly.

“I slept at the stadium on Friday night without food or water. They didn’t make provision for us, we didn’t complain.

“On getting to the stadium this morning (Tuesday) we were paid N3,000 as against the 10,000 that we were initially told. This is not fair at all,’’ he said.

He, however, wondered about who was responsible for “shortchanging’’ them.

“We do not know, maybe it is Access Bank, Lagos State Government or the Marathon Office that has done this to us,’’ he said.

Oladimeji Olayinka, who resides at Ikorodu, also said he had to sleep at the stadium without food, adding that he did it because the organisers had promised to pay them N10,000 for volunteering.

He also said he would not apply for volunteer work by the marathon office anymore, noting that he already had plans for the money.

“Sincerely, I have been expecting N10,000 and not N3,000; some other people and I would have protested if not for the presence of the military and police.

“Last year, we were paid N8,500, even if they could not pay like last year, they should have at least paid N5,000. This is not fair,’’ he said.

Christiana Ogunleke, who resides at Egbeda in Alimosho Local Government, said she was heart-broken about the unfair treatment, adding that she had to sleep at a friend’s place ahead of the marathon.

“My husband does not reside in Lagos, when he came home on Friday; I told him that I was going for volunteer work.

“I didn’t attend to him because I thought I would be able to make N10,000, I already had a budget for the money. When I got here now, I was told it was just N3,000.

“If I knew this was how we would be treated, I would have not volunteered. They know that people will protest and that is why they engaged the military.

“They know that people will not take it kindly with them, look at the money I spent from Egbeda to collect my kits, attend training and volunteered, I have already spent the N3,000, if not more,’’ she lamented.

She said that she would not volunteer in subsequent editions, adding that it was not fair.

“If I didn’t collect the money, I am sure they will not hesitate to take my money and others. I heard that Access Bank and Lagos State Government budgetted a huge amount for the event.

She appealed to the organisers to be truthful in their dealings in organising the competition.

Newsverge reports that as at the time of this report, officials of the Lagos Marathon Office were said to be meeting with Access Bank Officials at an undisclosed place outside the stadium.