Again, Taraba players shut down Govt House

Barely a month after a similar protest, players of Taraba State male and female football teams known as Taraba FC and Taraba Queens respectively on Monday shut down activities at the state Government House protesting nonpayment of backlogs of their salary arrears.

The players are demanding immediate payment of 21 months salary arrears from the Taraba State government.

Heavy security operatives were deployed to the Government House to deny the players entrance.

Teargas canisters were fired by police at protesting players to disperse them but they vowed to make Government House their abode until they are fully settled.

However, the Government House entrance gate remained locked and nobody talked to them until around 2:30pm when captains of the two teams were asked to enter the Government House for talks.

Speaking with reporters, the assistant captain of the male team, Uzih Michael said government’s insensitivity to their plight was simply appalling.

“Throughout last year, we were paid only two months salaries and we have not received anything this year and the government is behaving as if nothing is happening. Would he do this if his son or daughter was on the team?” he said.

Uzil further said that the players were “tired of empty promises, and are not going anywhere until we are paid”.

According to another player, Kabiru Ahmed, the excuse the governor keeps giving that there is no money is unfounded as the governor recently spent huge some of money to organise a concert while they were languishing.

“The governor recently brought musicians down to the state and paid them N200m instead for him to use the money and pay workers,” Ahmed lamented.

Tribunesport gathered that the when the players staged a similar protest last month, the state deputy governor intervened by promising them that they would be paid when the state government is paying November salaries, but the promise remains unfulfilled.

Tribunesport recalls that this protest is about the fifth in the last 12 months.

Most of the players collect between and Thirty and Sixty thousand Naira as monthly salary.

At the time of this report, the negotiation was still on between the government and the teams captains and the government house kept locked as players continue with the protest.