The National Association of Nigerian Professional Footballers ( NANPF) has in unequivocal terms, condemned the composition of the committee set up by Nigeria Football Federation to investigate the death of Nasarawa United player, Chieme Martins.
The NFF on Saturday, set up a 12 man panel led by Dr. Peter Singabele which is expected to be inaugurated on Tuesday, 17th, March, 2020, to investigate circumstances surrounding the death of the player and profer ways to avoid future occurrences.
In a quick reaction to the move by NFF, the players union led by Tijani Babangida, MON, in a press release signed by its General Secretary, Austin Popo, condemned the composition of the committee, which it declared as a big slap on the collective interest of Nigerian footballers, and also lacking the nous to represent them.
For the umpteenth time, NANPF had requested the NFF to sign up the proposed collective labour agreement with the union, which it stated would cover lots of the drawbacks in the system.
” How can the NFF set up a panel on such important matter as it concerns the welfare and betterment of the Nigerian player, without the inclusion of the players’ union?
” We want to advise the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, to urgently look into this anomaly. As it portends huge dangers to the collective interests of the Nigerian footballers.
” We also want the NFF and the football authorities to quickly kick start the process of signing the collective labour agreement with NANPF, in order to secure the protection and rights of our players as practiced all over the world for the sake of industrial peace and harmony, ” he stated.
NANPF also warned of a possible lockdown of the Nigerian leagues by pulling players out of the leagues until the conditions demanded by the union are met by the NFF.
