Jerome Dung, a former midfielder of Plateau United Football Club and member of the historic 2017 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) title-winning squad, has expressed frustration over unfulfilled promises made by former Governor, Simon Bako Lalong.
Dung revealed that eight years after their triumph, the players and technical crew are still waiting for the rewards pledged to them, which included ₦1.5 million each and plots of land in Jos. The technical adviser at the time, Kennedy Boboye, was promised ₦2.5 million, while other staff members were to receive ₦2 million each.
Taking to social media, Dung revealed, “Eight years have passed since we defied all odds to win the league in the 2016/2017 season for our beloved Plateau United FC, aka Lalong Boys, Governor Simon Lalong was thrilled by our performance and promised us 1.5 million naira each and a plot of land in appreciation. Despite this, eight years have gone by and we have yet to see that money or the land.”
Dung, who played for Plateau United from 2014 to 2020 before moving to Switzerland in 2022, said the delay has left many of his former teammates struggling to survive, with some now retired and battling financial hardship.
He recalled the plight of the late Coach Audu Pele, who died because his family could not afford medical treatment. “This is the reality some of my teammates and coaches are facing. It is heartbreaking that a historic feat for Plateau State is remembered with broken promises,” he lamented.
Dung appealed to the current governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to intervene and ensure the pledges are honoured.
“Of the 45 players in our team, 23 were not even from Plateau, yet they fought valiantly to achieve this historic feat. We simply want what we worked hard for and deserve,” he added.
Plateau United’s 2017 NPFL victory marked the club’s first league title, a milestone that brought pride to the state and was celebrated widely.
