Court orders Nasarawa to deposit N182.5m players’ salaries

Justice Kenneth Amadi ordered both parties to deposit the amount in the account before they could file an appeal against its judgment. The amount, N182,544,000, is the total sum the management of the state government-owned club is owing five former coaches and 37 players, being their unpaid salaries and signing-on fees. The court, which heard the suit of the claimants, delivered judgment on April 16 and ordered the government to pay on or before April 30, 2018. However, when the state government sought leave of court for a stay of execution of the April 16 judgment, Justice Amadi ordered it to deposit the amount in an account. Amadi then gave the state government up till November 19 to bring or present the cheque of the said money to the court before its motion could be heard. NAN reports that Messrs Paul Hammache and A.G.Yirvoms, counsel for the coaches and players, had challenged the state government’s application. The state government applied to move a motion for a stay of judgment as it intends to appeal. NAN reports that the coaches and players separately sued the state government and the club over their failure to pay their entitlements amounting to N182.5m since 2015. The coaches are Evans Ogenyi, Sylvester Ekoja, Michael Jatau, Bala Nikyu and El-Shammah Inusa. They were laid off in 2015, alongside the 37 players.]]>