Workers of the 17 local government areas in Abia state have decried the nonpayment of their February and March 2016 salaries and have raised curse on the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
The workers, some of who had taken loans from commercial banks, using their salaries as collateral, lamented that the none payment of the salaries has brought untold hardship to them and their families.
The workers, who raised curse on Governor Ikpeazu, said that none payment of their salaries have exposed them to the risk of banks always seizing any money paid into their accounts.
The workers feared that even as at the 4th day of the new month of April, there are no signs that salaries would be paid in the next one week. They blamed the situation on what they described as misplacement of priorities by the Ikpeazu led administration.
“The governor has not been fair to local government workers. He is always paying in arrears. December 2015 salary was paid in the first week of February; January salary was paid in March. February salary has not been paid, this is April, there is no hope that we will be paid this week. How can a worker plan and achieve any target with this system? Our leave allowances have been withdrawn. Yet we hear he (the governor) collects N750 million every month. Yet, he finds it difficult to pay us the pittance as salaries. The saying goes that a worker is worthy his wages, but this is not true in Abia state. Only God will judge our case with the governor.”
Meanwhile, an official of one of the old generation banks hinted that they have been directed by their headquarters in Lagos to stop extending loans to council workers because of the none payment of salaries leading to the creation of bad debts. [myad]
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