ABUDU – Staffs of Orhionmwon local government council have appealed to Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki to intervene in the non-payment of their 10 months salary arrears.
They also appealed to the council authorities to fix the faulty bore hole and electricity generating set that hitherto serve the power as well as water need of staffs at the secretariat.
The workers who spoke with our correspondent at Abudu, administrative headquarters of Orhionmwon local government area, expressed displeasure over the situation.
According to them, they could not meet up with their financial needs towards the end of last year, and celebrate during the festive period owing to lack of money.
“this is new year, our children will go back to school, they will eat, buy books, and other expenses. How do we manage that?”, laments a council staff who do not want to be named.
Checks revealed, 7months of the arrears were owed the workers before March 2018, when the current council administration came on board, which added the months of May, November and December of 2019.
When contacted, chairman of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the council, Ighodaro Mathew declined to speak on the issue.
The non-payment of salaries may not be unconnected to abnormal deductions from the local government allocations to pay teachers salaries, according to a source at the state universal basic education board (SUBEB), who also said “it is being sorted out”.
Meanwhile, due to no running water in their various offices, the workers have resort to use the pit toilet behind the secretariat, and also nearby bushes for defecation.
The council chairman, Hon Silvester Okoro could not be reached for comment, and message to his mobile phone was yet to be responded to, as at the time of filing this report.
