Last week the news of the Kano Pillars FC stoppage from using their newly signed players by the Nigeria’s league governing body was widely reported in the social media.
Kano Pillars FC were reportedly stopped from using any of their newly signed players this new football season until they resolved a contract dispute with their former goalkeeper who was also the former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Bassey Akpan.
The matter stems from a mandated payment of N11.8 million to Bassey Akpan for breach of contract between him and the club year(s) back which the club is yet to oblige.
The former Super Eagles goalkeeper was said to take his case up to the league governing body over Kano Pillars FC inability to pay him his money within the 21-day deadline which consequently, forced the body to take the decision to ban Kano Pillars from the use of their newly signed players this football season.
The ban was also said to have an immediate impact on Kano Pillars who are newly promoted to the NPFL as no new player was seen in the team list that featured in their opening game of the 2023/2024 season against Sunshine Stars last weekend.
It was reported that the outcome of the dispute between former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Bassey Akpan and his former team will certainly have negative consequences for the team this season as they banked on their newly signed players to make surprises in the league this season.
To me, the player’s action is commendable and worthy of emulation by any player(s) who felt short changed by his club or their clubs.
This has exposed the level of corruption in our football leagues where players and coaches are engaged by clubs without unfolding the true amount they were contracted, the period and actual salaries and allowances.
All we hear is “it is a mouthwatering offer” and nothing more.
And until this unholy act is totally stopped and scraped from our league system, it will continue to be the tool most corrupt team officials will be using to defraud their respective teams.
The league board should force clubs to from now on made known to the public what trasfared between them and their players.
Players’ sign-on fees, allowances and salaries must be made known as done in there countries of the world.
I must applaud the player, Bassey Akpan for knowing his right(s) and following or taking the right steps to get it or them. This has shown his level of awareness and maturity.
I also commend the organizers for standing for the vulnerable who were used and dumped by wicked club officials in our leagues.
I commend the organizers of the league for taking this type of action or decision against erring wicked team(s) that sent their player(s) or coaches packing at will without following due process which in most cases used to have negative effects and untold hardships to the players and their families.
There is no doubt that there used to be wrongful securing and disengagement of player(s) without following due process which led to the defrauding the team(s). This in most cases used to put the team(s) in a financial mess.
Most team officials are in the habit of engaging players without anybody’s knowledge for their selfish interest.
For sure this is one area where previous management of Kano Pillars FC used to defraud the team and make money.
And that was why while bidding farewell to Kabiru Baita last interim board and welcoming the present Babangida Little led board in my previous write ups, I told the new board to be extra-vigilant in buying and selling of players.
Because there used to be a lot of questions and discrepancies in the ways and manners which past officials used to dupe and mismanage the club’s finances for their selfish interest.
I remembered advising the Babangida Little led committee to stop getting players on loan from academies, managers or other teams with immediate effect because I look at it as a good way of defrauding the team of a lot of money.
I see the academies, managers or teams as greater beneficiaries of the deal, leaving the team (Kano Pillars) with nothing out of it when the player(s) in question left for another team.
I reminded the Babangida Little led committee to know that selling or buying Kano Pillars players locally or internationally must be done openly and not secretly by the club’s legal committee. Which I was told is not there.
Doing that type of transaction privately or secretly must be stopped without delay.
One sad side of the whole thing is the inability of the Kano Pillars FC to say any word since the league board’s decision was made known last week.
Since then, I expect Kano Pillars management to come out and say something or issue a release on the matter.
The team needs to put an investigative committee either within the board or outside the board to know what actually happened and either pay or appeal the decision.
But if they are satisfied with that decision they should do the needful. They should source the money and pay the player without delay to enable them to use the new players they contracted to play for them this football season.
I am happy that the club is said to have some money in its coffers from the sale of some of its player(s).
