Nasarawa Utd In N58m Wage Debt

It has been confirmed that troubled National Division IA side, Nasarawa United, has a massive debt of N58 million hanging over it from last season till date.

Naijaligue.blogspot.com understands that the debt of the Lafia-based club, according to officials of the Nigeria National League (NNL) is based on just the wages and contract fees owed present and past players and officials of the club from last season when the side was relegated from the Premier League.

The situation at the club is precarious that the club administrators had to write to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the NNL to withdraw after just five games this season.

Last week, Naijaligue.blogspot.com had reported that the owner and financier of the club, the Nasarawa State government, is considering disbanding the side due to the mounting debt, which is believed to be close to N100 million including outstanding wages and contract fees of past and present players and officials.

However, it is understood that a government official in that state has defended that the Nasarawa State government was not in the know that players and officials are owed such sums of money by the club.

But it would be recalled that the players and supporters had protested non-payment of contract fees and poor welfare conditions at the club by barricading the Lafia highway leading to the Government House in that state before the police dispersed the crowd with canisters of teargas.

An official of the club, who would only speak on the condition of anonymity with Naijaligue.blogspot.com, claimed that the state government cannot say it was not informed of the club’s financial predicament.

“I am shocked by this statement from a government official saying that they did not know what was happening in Nasarawa United. I am affected by the current situation and everyday things are looking bleak because we have withdrawn from the national league since the club could no longer fund anything. At the moment, I don’t know what will happen to the team,” lamented the Nasarawa United official.

Naijaligue.blogspot.com also understands that some officials of Nasarawa United nearly resorted to fisticuffs in the office of the NNL in Abuja when a cheque of N500,000 was received on the behalf of the club.

The money was paid by another professional club for players acquired during one of the past transfer windows in the Nigerian league.

The officials, who are owed huge sums of money, had opted to fight for the cheque of N500,000 since it was the only sum available to alleviate their dire financial state.

But the NNL decided to keep the cheque in order to ensure that the money goes to the appropriate channel.