Uneasy calmness as NPFL extended period of grace for indebted clubs to settle debts nears expiration

There has been uneasy calmness among the indebted clubs as the Nigeria Premier Football League, (NPFL) extended the period of grace for indebted clubs to settle their overdue payables will expire on or before on Friday 11th October 2024.

 Our investigation shows the NPFL unilaterally extended the days of grace approved by the Nigeria Football Federation, Players Status and Arbitration Committee to the indebted clubs to settle their overdue payables.

In a letter signed by the Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, Mr. Davidson Owumi dated, 1st of October, 2024, three days after the deadline issued by the NFF Players Status and Arbitration Committee elapsed, the NPFL unilaterally extended the deadline by writing to the indebted clubs to pay up and settle all outstanding payment issues and comply with the orders of the NFF Players Status and Arbitration Committee on or before Friday 11th October 2024, otherwise they will bear the full weight of the consequences of their actions.

Though the decision to extend the deadline for the consequences was done by the NPFL, a member of the Players status committee confided that the committee never approved or was consulted before the extension was given, as the three weeks grace issued by the NFF PSC expired on 27th of September 2024.

"We are waiting for the new extension deadline October 11th 2024 NPFL gave these clubs."

"The committee wasn’t exactly pleased with the unilateral extension by the league body" a member of the committee who pleaded anonymity, said in his reply to an inquiry on the extension of days of grace.  

He spoke further on the matter, " Feelers from NPFL also says Owumi is very serious with this new  deadline and he has already notified these clubs that he has exhausted all leniency, this time it won't just be a mere threat".

The Consequence

In the letter, Davidson Owumi urged all indebted clubs to pay up their debts and comply with the ruling of the Players Status and Arbitration Committee  otherwise the affected NPFL clubs will not be allowed to field newly signed players after Week 5 of the NPFL and the licenses of the newly signed players will be withdrawn indefinitely until the outstanding issues are settled.

"Any club that has not resolved it’s overdue payables and /or complied with the decisions of the Players Status and Arbitration Committee will face the following sanctions;

1. Ineligibility to field new players: Affected clubs will be prohibited from fielding new players after the week 5 of the NPFL fixtures.

2. Withdrawal of Players’ Licenses: The licences of these new players will be withdrawn indefinitely until the club complies fully by paying up their debts and also obeying the NFF's directives to resolve all outstanding issues". The letter to the affected clubs read in part.

Fear of the Consequences*

Of all the indebted clubs, Kano Pillars has responded to the call as the club has settled all overdue payable.

Our investigation shows, Kano Pillars paid their overdue payables due to Dakadda FC on October 4 2024, three days after the NPFL wrote the clubs.

The others are adamant and believe nothing will happen as usual as they are perfecting plans to buy more time with some high tech strategies as part of their plans to further delay or run away from their obligations.

As it is now if the Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye led NPFL management upholds these directives, by withdrawing the new players' licenses, the adamant indebted  NPFL clubs will play with depleted squads during this weekend fixtures.

Just like the case of Sunshine Stars FC in the 2017/2018 Season. Sunshine FC paid dearly for owing Ojo Mine and Dimgba Stanley, the then League Management Company had the newly registered players’ licenses withdrawn, Sunshine played with only 11 players against Plateau United in Jos, where they Lost to their host in a whopping 5-0 score line

Will NPFL Bark And Bite?

Feelers coming from the NFF and NPFL is that both bodies have resolved to uphold law and order as they cannot beat the high level of impunity going on in the NPFL as there is no going back this time around.

Everywhere is quiet , the clubs are making moves like in a game of Chess, they are looking for a master stroke, banking on one big man within the NPFL that has been acting as a clog in the wheel of progress since the Players Status and Arbitration committee delivered their judgement, to pull the strings of another extension while the NFF frowns with displeasure, the strange extension issued by the NPFL. It's an uneasy calmness indeed as we await the expiration of the deadline of 11th October 2024, at least for once the NPFL should bark and bite otherwise the integrity of the league and those managing it might be eroded like a quick sand in the face of a wild wind.

Some Cases of Indebtedness before the NPFL and Players Status and Arbitration Yet to be Settled

•Abia Warriors shall pay Ikedinachi Nwakanma & Julius Obinna N4 million & N3 million respectively for wrongfully terminating their contracts.

•Imoh Azubuike is entitled to get overdue payables to the tune of N3.15 milion from Abia Warriors.

•Abia Warriors shall pay Victor Alegbe N5 million for wrongfully terminating his contract & overdue payables.

•Enyimba FC shall pay Stephen Chukwude N5m for wrongfully terminating his contract.

•Jonah James, Jonas Emmanuel, H. Shamsudeen, Kanti and Abiodun Adebayo are all entitled to overdue payables from Katsina Utd. Payments to be made by instalments between June and September 2024.

•Katsina United shall pay Coach Usman Shariff Abd’Allah N7.7 million for overdue payables.

•Katsina United shall pay Coach Nasir Salisu N1.25 million for overdue payables.

•Katsina United shall pay Coach Tony Bolus N8 million for overdue payables.

•Enyimba shall pay Chijioke Akuneto N1.2 million for overdue payables.

•Lobi Stars shall pay Christian Nwokedi N1.5 million for overdue payables.

•Wikki Tourists FC shall pay Chukwude Stephen N2.5 million for overdue payables.

•El-Kanemi Warriors shall pay Bala Yusuf, Emmanuel Adoyi and Suleiman Sodiq N750,000, N1.65 million and N1 million respectively for overdue payables.

•Kwara United shall pay John Obuh N10.45 million for overdue payables.

•Akwa United shall pay Osahon Uhunmwangbon & others N47 million for overdue payables in revalidation of earlier decision from 2015.

•Heartland FC indebtedness to Itodo Ocheme, Momoh Prince, Ezekiel Bassey, Leonard Ugochukwu, Chukwude Stephen and Esobe Chukwudi for wrongfully terminating their contracts.

•Akwa United indebtedness to Chukwude Stephen for wrongfully terminating his contract.

•3SC indebtedness to Sikiru Adewale Alimi

•Kwara United indebtedness to Adekunle Ayobami for wrongfully terminating his contract.

•Lobi Stars indebtedness to Solomon Babatunde for wrongfully terminating his contract.

Olusola Adebayo