KFA players, staffs protest over hunger, unpaid salaries

Staff and students of Kwara Football Academy (KFA) on Thursday blocked the entrance leading to the institution's premises over protest of backlog of unpaid salaries and hunger. 

Some of the staff who spoke with newsmen and pleaded anonymity said the state government is insensitive to their plenty hence the reason they are owing them backlog of salaries. 

They claimed that the state government is owing them eight months salaries and that the last time they received salary was June 2016.

They alleged that two of their colleagues have died as a result of lack of money to take care of themselves. 

They claimed that a proceed from a sale of one of the players of the academy was used to settle their January, February and March 2016 salaries before a bail out in November 2016.

The protesters explained that it was the bail out that was used to settle their April, May and June salaries. 

 

The protesting KFA staff said on or before the payment of January 2016 salary, they did not receive full salaries in 2015.

They also informed newsmen that the state government had stopped subvention to the institution since November 2015.

Just before the arrival of the Administrator of the academy, Mr. Kunle Ayantola, the students were on their way to the Kwara Harmony Holdings Limited to protest that they are hungry. 

Kwara Harmony Holdings Limited is the company managing some properties of the Kwara government, including KFA.

Addressing the protesters, the Administrator of the academy, Mr. Kunle Ayantola, appealed to the protesters to be patient till the ongoing effort of the state government to get them paid is completed. 

He asked them to give him two weeks until something can be done,  a request immediately turned down by the protesting staff. 

The KFA staff later agreed to give the government until Tuesday, Feb. 14, to pay them or they shut the institution down until they are fully paid.

 

Formerly known as Football College of Excellence when established in 2002, KFA has produced notable players that are doing excellently well in their careers under the tutelage of former Super Eagles coach, Clemens Westerhof.

Notable among them is the former Nigeria U20 defender, Gbenga Arokoyo now in the MLS, Ichull Lordson, Aminu Abdulkadir both playing for Nasarawa United, Barnabas Imenger of Lobi Stars among others.