Nigeria
Professional Football League [NPFL] club, Nasarawa United, have been battling
with a court suit instituted by one of their ex-players, Onyenuchi Maurice in
the past three months.
The
case was instituted by Maurice in November 2014 at the National Industrial
Court of Nigeria in the city of Jos.
Supersport.com
has been made to understand that Nasarawa United are challenging the power of
the industrial court in Jos to hear the case claiming that its counterpart in
Lafia has the power to do so since the matter happened in Lafia.
Nasarawa
United are also challenging the claimant, Maurice's move to institute the case
at an industrial court rather than exploring the arbitration of the Nigeria
Football Federation [NFF], which makes provision for his reliefs being sought
from the court.
Maurice's
lawyer, J.O. Ogieva, has already filed its defence at same court insisting that
the industrial court should go ahead and hear the suit since it is the only one
of such judicial divisions located within the territory since Lafia does not
have such courts.
Maurice
in his claim to the court stated that he was an employee of Nasarawa United for
three football league seasons of 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11.
The
attacking winger, who was in the books of Plateau United last term, wants the
court to grant his reliefs "against the defendants jointly and severally
to the sum of N6.1 million only being the signing-on fees not paid to/owing the
claimant by the defendants for the three seasons i.e 2008/09, 2009/10 and
2010/11 the claiamant played for the first defendant."
The
other prayer by Maurice is "the defendant may pay N6.1 million only with
cost to the claimant or the claimant's legal practitioner within the time
allowed for appearance and that upon such payment the proceedings shall
terminate."
Former
captain of the club, Stephen Moga, who played between 2008 and 2012, has also
claimed that the Lafia outfit owe him N8.4 million accruing from signing-on
fees for the period he was their employee.
Moga,
who previously played for Jigawa Stars, Mighty Jets and NPA [now Warri Wolves],
said he has stopped his football career due to the poor welfare given to
players in the league.
The
former Nasarawa United defender is now studying for a Diploma in Accounting at
the Federal Polytechnic in Lafia.
"The
poor welfare shown to players in the league has made me take a decision to stop
football. I can't say if I will return to it but right now I am in school,
studying for a Diploma in Accounting at the polytechnic in Lafia. Since I left
Nasarawa United, I am yet to receive the money they owe me which is N8.4
million. I have taken the matter to the NFF, the LMC and even a group known as
Brekete in Abuja but nothing has happened," said Moga.
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