By Abel Leonard/lafia
Nigeria Professional Football League side, Nasarawa United, have been fined N10m by the ad-hoc committee set up by the Nigeria Football Federation to investigate the death of the club’s defender Chineme Martins.
The committee’s chairman, Dr. Peter Singabele, submitted its report to the NFF in a virtual meeting on Thursday.
In a statement by the NFF’s Communications Department, Nasarawa Football Association was banned from hosting football matches, while the club was also directed to pay all Martins’ financial entitlements.
“The Nasarawa FA should be temporarily suspended from hosting all NFF-organised matches (including domestic league matches) until some clearly stated conditions are met. The player must be immortalized. Nasarawa United should pay a fine of N10m to the LMC for non-compliance with Club Licensing Regulations and violation of NPFL Framework and Rules, and should pay all financial entitlements of the late Martins immediately, including arrears of salaries and insurance benefits, if any.
“The NFF should empower its Medical Committee, Technical Committee, Club Licensing Department and the LMC to exercise fully their statutory powers and functions,” Singabele said.
The committee said Nasarawa United didn’t have a medical doctor or a physiotherapist, with the club’s medical team headed by a retired community health assistant.
They however, recommended that all clubs should have a minimum of one qualified medical officer and a physiotherapist; all players must undergo mandatory PCMA in line with CAF and FIFA standards; clubs must keep adequate medical records of players and officials, as well as a mandatory preseason basic medical screening.
In his reaction, NFF president Amaju Pinnick said any club that failed to adhere to the directives would be barred from competing in the league.
You will recall that daybreak news report that martins slumped and died in Nasarawa United’s match against Katsina United at the lafia township stadium March 8.
