Exclusive: Players Status, Arbitration Committee Debunks Enyimba, Elkanemi Warriors Settlement of Debts, Fails To Clear Plateau United Due To Partial Compliance

The Players Status and Arbitration Committee (PSAC) of the NFF has debunked the news making the round that Enyimba FC and Elkanemi Warriors FC have settled their indebtedness to former players and complied fully with the directives of the committee, Sports247 reports.

The PSAC delivered separate judgement in May and June 2024 over contractual disputes between some clubs and their former players, coaches whose contracts were unlawfully terminated and ruled in favour of the players, coaches and clubs awarding different sums of money to be paid to the players, coaches or clubs as the case may be, the committee further placed a transfer ban on the debtor clubs if they fail to comply with the rulings in full.

After several postponements of the deadline for defraying of all the overdues elapsed, the NPFL finally agreed to implement the judgement and wrote to these clubs to pay up on or before Matchday 10 of the 2024/2025 NPFL season, otherwise the affected clubs will not be allowed to use their newly registered players in their games as the players’ licenses will be withdrawn until there is full compliance with PSAC ruling.

As we approach the Matchday 10, this weekend there has been high level manoeuvres by some clubs to avoid the sanctions without full compliance with the ruling of the PSAC as a piece of news item was in circulation that Enyimba FC and Elkanemi Warriors have complied with the PSAC directives, by making the required payments and that these teams have been cleared to use their newly signed players on Matchday 10 ( this weekend ) when the implementation of the transfer ban will come to full force.

A check with the PSAC shows that the news item was fake as no payment was made to the affected players or their legal representative(s) as reported.

The news was fake, malicious and probably intended to deceive the public and cause chaos on the Matchday when the sanctions will be implemented in full.

Our investigation shows, the PSAC has written to the COO of the NPFL and the letter cited by our correspondent, in response to the purported fake news that Enyimba and Elkanemi have made payments to their creditors or their representative and has been cleared to use their newly signed players on Matchday 10.

The PSAC debunked such insinuations outrightly and told the NPFL that the clubs failed to remit or make payment to players or their legal representatives, hence no payment can be said to have been made until the PSAC receive confirmation from the creditors of acknowledgement of payment.

Hence Enyimba FC and Elkanemi Warriors FC have not been cleared to use their newly signed players for the weekend games and subsequent games until they comply with directives of the committee fully.

” On this specific matter Elkanemi Warriors and Enyimba FC:

These clubs have not provided confirmation of payment to their creditors nor have their creditors confirmed receipts. Consequently these clubs remained uncleared by the committee” the letter released 31st October 2024 and signed by the secretary of the PSAC reads in part.

In the same letter, the PSAC confirmed the payment made by Plateau United but not in full compliance with the rulings hence the club is not cleared by the body.

” We confirmed the evidence of payment of Plateau United debt settlement with Yarmalight from the letter of confirmation conveyed by the Gombe State based club, please not that PSAC has not received the confirmation of payment of the imposed fine of N1 million, Plateau United will not be cleared until all obligations including fines have been satisfied” a part of the letter reads.

The body also stated categorically that neither the committee nor the NPFL has the power to be a clearing house for this payment and directed all payment are valid only if they comply with the directives of the committee.

” We wish to affirm that as per the directive of the committee neither the Committee or NPFL are authorised to accept payment on behalf of the creditors. All outstanding debts should be settled directly between the club and respective creditors or authorised representatives.” the letter to the NPFL clarified.

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