Warri Wolves officials meet Okowa over players’ strike

• As LMC sanction looms 

The League Management Company (LMC) yesterday issued a notice of summary jurisdiction to Warri Wolves for indebtedness to players and officials of the club. But in a move to avoid LMC hammer, officials of the club were said to have shifted base to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s office in Asaba to brief him on recent happenings in the club.

The LMC after conducting its investigations following reports that the players had gone on strike, served the summary jurisdiction notice to the club for failure to pay financial entitlements to the players for a period exceeding 60 days and cited this as a breach of Article B9.45 of the 2014/15 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Framework and Rules.

However, Warri Wolves Media Officer, Moses Etu told The Guardian yesterday that all necessary things were being done to resolve the players’ strike, adding that the club would meet the 60 days ultimatum issued by the LMC.

Our officials have briefed the Sports Commission and all necessary paper work have been forwarded to the governor’s office. I can assure Warri Wolves will resolve the issue very soon,” Etu said in a telephone chat yesterday. Wolves are expected to travel to Owerri for a league clash against Hartland FC this weekend.

According to the LMC, Dolphins FC and Sharks were the first to be put on notice for points deduction sanctions earlier in the season and two other clubs, FC Taraba and El-Kanemi Warriors have had to face the LMC measures designed to protect the welfare of players.

While Dolphins and Sharks acted before the deadline, the LMC has in separate letters to El-Kanemi Warriors and FC Taraba reminded them of the notice served on August 5 and directed the two clubs to on or before August 28, provide details of their financial situations.

Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar said the summary jurisdiction notice is a routine exercise which the body will continue to carry out to ensure compliance with regulations.

By this notice, Warri Wolves stand to lose six points should the indebtedness not be defrayed within 60 days of receiving this notice and a further three points for every other 30 days for which the remuneration or entitlement of the players remain unpaid.

The letter to Warri Wolves read in part, “you are therefore required, within sixty (60) days of the date of this notice, to remedy the breach, otherwise the Board intends to exercise its summary jurisdiction and to impose on you an initial deduction of six (6) points and a further deduction of three (3) points for every further thirty (30) days for which the entitlements remain unpaid.”