23rd December, 2015
Taiwo Adelu
After Taraba State Government’s failure to address the plight of players and officials of relegated FC Taraba, the League Management Committee (LMC) has decided to pay one out of 11 months salary arrears owed the team.
The players had for several days protested the non payment of their salary, keeping vigil at the Government House in Jalingo. The players claimed they have not been paid salary for the past 11 months and could therefore not bear it any longer.
This prompted their protest march to the seat of power in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
When this effort could not yield positive response from the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Gibeon T. Kataps and the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Abdul Hadi H. Lau, the LMC was forced to step in few days ago, demanding that the players should forward their accounts details to it.
Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the LMC, Salisu Abubakar, confirmed that the players will receive a month out of the 11 months salary owed them by Taraba State.
According to Abubakar, this gesture will enable the players have something in their pockets to celebrate Christmas.
The one month salary, according to Abubakar, is being paid out of the sponsorship and performance dues FC Taraba from the 2015 NPFL season.
“We have received the accounts details of the players and by today (Wednesday), we will pay them one month and see what happens next,” said Abubakar.
Corroborating what Abubakar said, Welfare Officer of FC Taraba, Fada Dennis said that the LMC management was even worried about the plight of the players more than them, adding that they are equally waiting for the government to fulfil its promise.
According to him, the players and officials met with the SSG and the Commissioner who told them that they are waiting for the return of Governor Dairus Ishaku who has been in Abuja before the payment would be made.
“We are waiting for them to give us what is due to us now so that we can go,” Dennis said on Lagos sports radio early on Wednesday.