By Gracious Akujobi Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has hailed the abolition of sign-on fees by League Management Company (LMC).
“I think it is a good omen for Nigerian football because we have been having problem with players not being paid their sign on fees and some of them go the extent of going to court of arbitration” Mohammed Sanusi, Director of competitions at the NFF told Prompt News Online.
He recalled “We had to force some clubs to pay because we categorically told them that any club owing its players and who has refused to pay will not be allowed to register for the coming season that was only the reason why some of them paid.
“The peculiarity of our problem and challenges in our football has necessitated the need to do away with sign on fees. In other parts of the world, clubs are owned and run by individuals and corporate organisations, reason they have the kind of result we all see. Anything managed by government is different from that which is managed by private bodies”.
Sanusi, however appealed to players not to be cowed into accepting anything less than the approved minimum wage.
His view, “The players are so ignorant but the onus is now on them to report to us if any club fails to pay them. All players should come collectively and agree that since there is a minimum wage, none of them should accept to be paid below the agreed and stipulated amount.
“It is a good development from LMC as this will eliminate the issue of players not being paid” he concluded.
Prompt News recalls that the LMC and owners of clubs participating in the Premier league recently agreed to do away with sign on fees and have put in its place enhanced salary structure with a minimum wage of N150, 000 for league players.
