The angry ex players of FC Taraba and Taraba Queen’s FC both Jalingo disrupted the match on the NNL between FC Taraba and Kaduna United FC at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, Jalingo. It could be recalled that the ex players were not paid for almost two years and the Taraba state government failed to fulfill it’s promises to players with the intervention of NANPF and the LMC and host of others.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers NANPF has described the on-going mayhem in Taraba FC game against Kaduna United FC where protesting ex players owed outstanding salaries of several months are being teargassed and injured, as the highest form of insensitivity to the welfare and lives of Nigeria Players and administrative ineptitude by the NNL.

In the first instance the registration of the team to feature in current league season is unjustifiable, a breach of football and league rules. Unfortunately the NNL see it the other way. It came as a rude shock to the union when Taraba FC name appeared as one of the teams to participate in the Nigeria football league this season.

The Union through its general secretary called the COO to questioned the reason for registering Taraba FC but to our greatest shock, the COO responded by saying that the NNL business is to register team to play and not to get involved in disputes between players and clubs a statement which was equally confirmed by the CEO of the NNL during a chart with the Union general Secretary.

But before now the NNL had always given assurance both to the union and the players that Taraba FC will not be registered until they clear their debts . So at what point did the NNL realised its business is only to register teams to play in the league without conditions.

Further more, Having received reports from the players of their planed action to stop the match from going on, the union secretary called the COO of NNL to intervene to forestall the situation that is currently playing out. He advised the secretary to call his Chairman,. Unfortunately the Chairman did pick his calls after several attempts.

The Union therefore calls for the swift intervention of NFF to put the match on hold until the issues are resolved to avoid consequences that we cannot predict. The players Union also want the leadership of Trade Union Congress to provide the necessary support for the players at this point in time.

Danladi Musa

AGS communication