Players of FC Taraba and their female counterparts, the Tara Queens on Thursday besieged the Taraba State Government House in protest against non-payment of their 11 months salary and allowances.
The captain of the male team, Kamil Sali said the protest was a last resort as all other efforts to get the government to pay their entitlements over the past 11 months had failed.
Sali stated that almost two months after the end of the season, most players were already with their families, but they were stuck and could not travel to be with their loved ones as their employers failed to pay their entitlements.
Sali said the team had explored all diplomatic ways to resolve the issue by meeting religious and political leaders and other leaders of thought in the state to seek their interventions in vain and now had resolved to take residence at the Government House until their demands are met.
The captain regretted that rather than addressing their plight with fatherly concern, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Anthony Jellason came and threatened that if they failed to leave the Government House, the government would not be responsible for whatever happened to them.
One of the players, Linus Adams, said the government was just playing games with them and taking them for a ride.
According to Adams, “the government is not taking us seriously. After the last season, most of us refused to come back because of the last experience but the governor begged us to come back only for them to be treating us as if we are beggars now”.
Both the SSG and Sports Commissioner could not be reached as of the time of this report as both did not pick their telephone calls and were not in their offices when Tribunesport visited.
It will be recalled that this is about the third time the players have staged protest in the last one year.
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