Government disbands Taraba FC and Taraba Queens FC.
By Niyi Busari

Taraba state Government has directed that the Taraba United Football Club and Taraba Queens football Club be disbanded immediately.

ThIs was issued in a Press Statement read by the Commissioner of Youths and Sport, Gambo Endafo, directing all the players to hand over Government properties in their possession over to the Special Adviser on Sports Development or Ministry of Youths and Sports.

Also contained in the Press Statement, a Technical Committee will soon be put in place to develop an appropriate guidelines and formidable structures aimed at rejuvenating the male and female football clubs in order to be efficient and effective.

Sequel to the disbandment of the two clubs as indicated in the Press Statement, Taraba state Governor, Arc. Darius Ishaku had earlier constituted a high powered committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Haruna Manu to look into the matter with a view to submitting a comprehensive findings as well as recommendations that would help resolve the matter in all its facets.

The statement stated that the committee which commenced sitting on October 31, 2017, submitted an interim report with the following observations on November 2, 2017, that the Players, Technical Crew, management of the two clubs including auxillary staff were being owed salaries for some months in 2015, 2016 and eight months in 2017 amounting to over two hundred and five million, ninety thousand Naira (N205,090,000).

That no proper contract documents spelling out the duties and responsibilities of the players and the Government as well as the rights of both parties.

It also indicated that no contract documents spelling out the duties and responsibilities of the players and the Government, as well as rights of the parties are in place and as such many of the players of the clubs in respect of which their salaries were said to be owed left the clubs for other clubs without adherence to due process.
It also uncovered that Government workers who draw salaries from the central payroll of the state, draws additional sums of money from the clubs allowances which are higher than their normal salary with no evidence as approval for the additional sums paid to these Governrnent workers who constituted themselves as management which is an act of illegality as no Government worker is allowed to draw double or more salaries from the same government.

The press release disclosed that the two clubs were observed to have over bloated the number of players in their main feeder teams and further uncovered that there has never been records of revenue generated by the clubs, either by way of gate-fees or sales of players even when Government is aware that some players have been sold.

Similarly, the press statement said in order to to address the sufferings of the players who have remained with the two clubs, the Governor has directed that, the players, Technical Crew and the auxiliary staff be paid their eight months outstanding salaries of 2017 under the following arrangements;
That there should be an immediate screening and payment of two months salaries which has already been released to the Ministry of Youths and Sports, screening and payments is expected to commenced on Monday, sixth of November 2017.

It also states that, those screened and paid their two months salaries will have their outstanding balances paid in two installments, in November and December and players that have left the clubs without due process will not be considered for the payment of outstanding salaries.