12 players sue Nasarawa Govt. over N51.65m unpaid salaries, sign-on-fees

Twelve players of Nasarawa United Football Club of Lafia have sued the Nasarawa State Government and the club’s management over unpaid salaries, match bonuses and sign-on fees totaling N51.65 million.
Joined in the suit before Justice Kenneth Amadi at the Jos Section of the National Industrial Court (NIC) is the Nasarawa State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
The aggrieved players, who were laid off by the club in 2015, include Okopi Sunday, Vincent Christopher and Jediael Dachor.
The rest are Shehu Dauda, Marcus Zung, Michael Ibi, Abba Abdullahi, Peter Gregory, Bidemi Abdulwahab, Samaila Mohammed, Abubakar Isah and Danlami Mohammed.
The players claimed they were variously engaged by the defendants but that, after their meritorious service, the defendants failed to pay them as agreed upon.
When the matter was mentioned in court on Thursday, A,G. Yirvoms, the players’ counsel in a motion claimed the club sacked them and refused to pay their entitlements totaling N51.65 million.
“My Lord, it in this light that my clients approached and sought for justice before the NFF Players’ Statutes/Arbitration Committee, which graciously granted an arbitral award in their (players’) favour.
“Before you Sir, we have a application in a motion seeking to enforce the arbitrary award given to the applicants in accordance with the rule of this court as in Section 17 sub-section 3(1)(2)(3)(4) Rules 2017.’’
Responding, the defendants’ counsel, Ishaku Usman, who is also the state’s Solicitor-General, said the state government and Nasarawa United FC had already challenged the arbitrary award at the NFF.
“My Lord, because of the distance, coming all the way from Lafia, we have not been able to file anything before your Lordship in respect to this case. But we hope to do that immediately after this proceeding.
“We will need time to file our counter-affidavit to the application brought before this honourable court by the applicants and so apply for an adjournment to enable us do that,’’ Usman said.
After listening to both sides, Justice Amadi adjourned the case to February 22 for hearing.
The number of cases brought by coaches and players of Nasarawa United FC has now risen to four.
All of them are yet to be decided by the National Industrial Court.