Owed players, coaches given license to self-help as NPFL fail to sanction indebted clubs after deadline

Four days after the 14th of October 2024 deadline expired, the indebted clubs have not made payments due to the creditors and the NPFL has failed to withdraw the license of these clubs new signings, as directed by the Players Status and Arbitration Committee (PSAC) of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF.

This executive nonresponsiveness by the NPFL is directly sending signals to the owed players, coaches and clubs that they can resort to self help as both the NPFL and the NFF have shown that the clubs are untouchable and bigger than the regulatory bodies.

A confirmation that the NFF and NPFL are afraid  to enforce the rules as it relates to their own decisions, hence they cannot help the creditors.

In a chat with one of the affected players who pleaded anonymity, he said: "It's obvious these clubs are bigger than NFF and the NPFL, how can you tell me they regulate football and the league in Nigeria with this much impunity?".

He spoke further on the next move : " I'm still thinking if I will organise some of my friends to withhold the club bus when they come play in my city if that will help the matter".

"Do you know some of my teammates who saw the news about the NFF decisions were laughing at me, that these clubs will not pay.

"I reached out to my lawyer who assured me that the decision is binding that they will pay, that I should be hopeful.

"To be honest that hope is lost, I don't have confidence in NFF and NPFL anymore it's obvious these people don't have honour, how will you say something and do otherwise.

"The excitement I had expecting this payment is already gone, if they like they enforce these clubs to  pay or they should continue dishonouring their name, the world is watching.

"Even my younger brother who had a similar case submitted to the NFF Players Status Committee told me I was lucky that I had a decision because he was informed that the PSAC committee does not even know when next they will hold another meeting  four  months since the last one held in June 2024."

It seems all hopes are lost and these creditors may be forced to take the laws into their hands and the consequences won't be a good thing to the image of the NFF and NPFL.

Insider sources confirmed the PSAC had been told to suspend further arbitration  meetings due to lack of funds.

This is the height of the hopelessness despite the huge amount of money being released to the NFF annually by the football's world governing body, FIFA not to talk of  the enormous sum being released to the NFF by the Nigerian government.

If the  committee that handles the welfare of players is being starved of funds, where will the commitment and motivation to see the case to a logical conclusion emanates from.

Certainly most of the committee members are already dissatisfied with the outcome of their previous meetings whose decisions are not enforced.

It's liken to a waste of time, resources and efforts by these noble men.

The creditors who have lots of bills on their neck, some are even out of jobs and the glimpse of hope that the due payment most of which were slashed and reduced by the PSAC will come soon are on the verge of losing it all.

It's so pathetic and sad that the labourers sweat got dried before payment if at all, they will eventually get paid at the end of this drama by NFF and the NPFL management.

Ramadan Olaifa

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