LMC Pays Salaries Of 53 Players, Officials of FC Taraba

CHAIRMAN of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko, has confirmed that the body on Tuesday paid one month salaries of players, coaches and other workers of FC Taraba numbering 53 to enable them celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivities pending the resolution of their salary dispute with the Taraba State government.

While confirming the remittance of the salaries directly to the concerned beneficiaries, Dikko said the payment came from the balance of the Basic Award and Merit Award due the club for participating in the 2015/16 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

The 53 employees of the club, who received the payment, are made up of 34 players registered with the LMC for the season and 19 officials who received the payment through their individual bank accounts.

“This payment was made pursuant to our letter to FC Taraba dated December 6, 2015 and in line with the non-sporting sanctions imposed on FC Taraba since November.

“The LMC will continue to monitor the situation at FC Taraba and keep up the engagement with the state government towards an amicable resolution of the unpaid salary issues for which the Nigeria Football Federation Congress endorsed the actions and recommendations of the LMC on the matter,” Dikko stated.

The LMC had adopted non-sporting sanctions as against points deduction in dealing with the established cases of default in payment of players and other club officials entitlements. Some of the non-sporting sanctions include the barring of implicated clubs from signing-on new players, seizure of proceeds from the sale of players and the money used to offset the indebtedness and barring of the club from participating in football competitions organised by the Federation amongst others.

Two other clubs, Warri Wolves and El-Kanemi Warriors, that were also sanctioned by the LMC for indebtedness to players have since provided to the LMC, evidence of payment of outstanding salary to their players and club officials.