Akwa Utd, Dolphin, Wolves in N100m debt - Report

Three Nigerian professional clubs – Akwa United, Dolphin Football Club and Warri Wolves – have been fingered in a debt worth more than N100 million to their former employees, Naijaligue.blogspot.com understands from a Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) report.

The total amount of the debt, according to the NFF Players’ Status and Arbitration Committee, is N100,976,500.

The revelation was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary of the NFF Players’ Status and Arbitration, Nasiru Jubril, to the three clubs.

Nigeria National League (NNL) campaigner, Akwa United, which missed the chance of gaining promotion to the top-flight, owes 39 former playing and coaching staff a staggering sum of N59 million.

Akwa United’s debt spans over four seasons – between 2005 and 2009 – according to the football federation’s Players’ Status and Arbitration Committee.

Dolphin FC is said to owe six players and two coaches – Philip Boamah and Ifeanyi Onyedika – the total sum of N21.3 million including 10 per cent due to the NFF in the region of N2 million.

However, the NFF states that Warri Wolves is indebted to 18 former employees, which its media chief, Timi Ebikagboro, debunked.

Wolves’ debt is said to stand at a total of N18.3 million with NFF’s 10 per cent due inclusive.

Ebikagboro clearly stated that in an e-mail response to Naijaligue.blogspot.com that the club entered into an agreement on disengagement terms in the event of non-performance.

He added that some players were sacked as surplus to requirement and were seconded to National Division I League side, Delta Force.

“Thanks for your mail while not trying to join issues with those who brought out this decision the management of Warri Wolves F.C says that when a player is sacked as it is done globally the club cannot pay the affected player his full entitlement. These said players in question were fired and some deployed to the state-owned team, Delta Force of Asaba, where they have been on salaries from the state government.

“Like I noted we do not want to join issues but for the records the management of Warri Wolves will not be cajoled by anybody into paying what is not due any player. The players were dropped on the bases of low productivity and if the NFF players’ arbitration committee prefer to take the word of the player as against that of the club then the Nigeria Premier League is on the verge of collapse as a lot of clubs will now be sending these players to the committee to sign them.

“And please I would like to state here that the contracts the players signed it was stated in black and white that if their performance drop they will be dropped and paid half of their sign-on fees which we have done and as such we owe no player,” stated Ebikagboro.