Kwara Football Academy Workers Protest Over Unpaid Salaries

Members of staff of the Kwara State Football Academy have begun a fresh round of industrial action over their unpaid salaries and other grievances.

The workers who spoke with newsmen in ilorin earlier today said that they had been left with no other option than to down their tools as previous negotiations with and promises from the Kwara State government have all been reneged upon.

Naija News gathered from one of the aggrieved workers who requested not to be named (for fear of victimisation), accused the Kwara State government of insensitivity to their plight while also claiming the workers of Kwara State Football Academy are inexplicably marginalized.

“Our demands are very clear, we are presently being owed nine months’ salary arrears,” he stated.“We are also protesting against the non-remittance of more than three years pension deduction from the KFA Staff’s salary.”

According to a statement jointly signed by the workers, since the inception of KFA, there have been no promotion, salary increment nor leave.

The workers also claim that due to total deplorable condition of service, some staff members have died while some are in the hospital. It is being alleged that KFA staff members, who were disengaged from service were not paid, and in this light, the workers have called on the general public to appeal to the Kwara State government to urgently pay them.

Kwara Football Academy (KFA), an initiative of the former Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, was opened by the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Issau Hayatou in 2005 to discover young soccer talents in Nigeria and the rest of Africa and make them better persons in the society.

The academy’s focus is on skill development. It is open to all, regardless of place of origin