Nigeria Women Football League Must Set Standard – Nlemigbo

OLUCHI TOBEX TOBE-CHUKWU/Abuja

The Head of Women Football Development and  Disciplinary Comitees in the FCT Football Association Bar. (Mrs) Victoria Nlemigbo has said that the just concluded NWPL season was very competitive and ran smoothly as expected.

”I must confess that it was a relief to have all the matches concluded without delays and hitches”,  she said recently in Abuja during the executive meeting of the All Stars Women Football Association (AWFAN), a group that is passionate about adding values to the girl child through the combination of education and sports especially football. She is the Founder/Cordinator of AWFAN.

Barr. Victoria Nlemigbo, who is also the General Secretary of NAWIS,  FCT Chapter,  emphasised that the players should not  be treated as slaves, adding that their welfare must be paramount.

“Clubs that cannot pay players’ salaries, allowances and wholeheartedly provide for their players should not be allowed to register  for and play the league, ” she reiterated. She said these conditions and more should be stipulated as minimum requirements for clubs to participate in the league.

“The NWFL must put her foot down and lay a minimum  standard for the league starting from players welfare and contract,” she added.

This glaring picture totally depicts the women football system in Nigeria. The last concluded season recorded success in terms of matches running smoothly and referees indemnities being covered.

However, it was marred by ill treatment of players.

The height of this pitiable and clog in the system was when players of Taraba Queens  took to the streets to protest the ill treatment meted out to them by their state government few months ago.

Sadly, the players were molested, detained, harassed  and intimidated by security operatives on the order of Taraba State government.

A reward for this bold act was the disbandment of the club and sacking of all the players with just payment of two months out of two years salaries owed.  The two months paid was only possible after the intervention of the Nigerian Players Union.

As at the time of filing this report, players of Rivers Angels have taken to the streets and walked down to the Rivers State Government House  protesting their unpaid financial entitlements in the just concluded season that they won the Women’s F.A.Cup.