December 09, 2015 – The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had condemned in strong terms the recent military assault on players of Taraba Football Club who were protesting refusal of Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State to pay their 11 months salary arrears.
The players were attacked on the 4th December, 2015 by soldiers attached to Taraba State Government House during the peaceful protest.
“We are taken aback by this incredulous development. Many of those players are married with children and other dependants too. Like all other workers, the players are worthy of their wages.
“It is therefore important that the Governor of the state recognises that he is not doing the players any favour by paying them for services duly rendered. There is absolutely no reason why those innocent players should be recompensed with grievous bodily harm, especially in a democratic setting and right at the doorstep of the Governor”, the TUC said in a statement signed by Comrades Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal, president and secretary of the union.
The TUC noted that it remains the duty of the military is to protect the nation’s territorial integrity and intervene to stem any unabated crisis in the land.
“It is not to assault innocent workers who are demanding for their fundamental human rights from their employer. The flagrant display of utter impunity and insensitivity on the part of Taraba State Government is therefore totally inexcusable”, it said.
The union noted that political leadership in the country should know that Nigerians voted for the present administration because they crave positive change.
“Thus any attempt to gag the voice of popular and non-violent dissent to maladministration and neglect by the elected few represents a dangerous precedent that must not be condoned.
“The Nigerian people, especially workers of all categories and classes, reserve the right to express their grievances and complaints as and when the need arises without fear of molestation from any quarter. A peaceful protest such as the one embarked on by the unarmed footballers should ordinarily have been supervised by a protective cordon of men of the Nigerian Police Force and not harassed by a bunch of poorly-oriented battle-ready, blood-thirsty, unpatriotic, citizen-brutalising soldiers.
“We demand that the Taraba State Governor immediately pays the players their salaries and allowances. Appropriate financial compensation for bodily harm and harassment must also be paid to the players, while all medical bills for the treatment of the injured amongst them must be promptly underwritten by the government.
” Lastly we call on the Chief of Army Staff to ensure that all the erring soldiers who descended so low as to physically assault the players are fished out and dismissed from service”, the TUC said.
