The League Management Company (LMC) on Monday imposed a six points deduction on three clubs, Warri Wolves, Dolphins and FC Taraba which will automatically count if they fail to liquidate all financial indebtedness to players and Managers.
Players of Warri Wolves were also admonished to follow laid down procedures in seeking to enforce their industrial rights with a promise by the LMC Chairman, Shehu Dikko that the rights of every football player in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) will be protected at all times.
Dikko in a warning to the players said, Wolves players, let the system work or face ban. We will fight for you and every other player in the NPFL but we must also follow the rules in seeking our rights under any circumstance”.
The decision to deduct six points from Warri Wolves, Dolphins and FC Taraba was sequel to the failure of the two clubs to pay backlog of salaries owed the players 60 days after they were served notices of Exercise of Surmary Jurisdiction by the LMC.
In separate letters to the clubs, Salihu Abubakar, the Chief Operating Officer of LMC, wrote, “you are in breach of Article B9.45 of the Framework and Rules, that is the failure to pay financial entitlements owed to players for a period of more than 60 days”.
The LMC consequently ordered a suspended six points deduction on the three teams which will be activated by November 14 should they still fail to remedy the breach.
“… The six points deduction referred to is suspended for a period of 14 clear working days and the points deduction shall immediately come into effect from the date of this decision provided that if the club fails to remedy the breach within the period”.
Warri Wolves was on August 25, issued the notice of summary jurisdiction to offset financial indebtedness to the players and were handed a 60 days’ notice to pay off the debts. FC Taraba was also on October 2 issued an ultimatum of 10 working days to commence payment of debts owed players. The clubs now have up to November 14, 2015 to avoid points deduction.
