As a result of the delay in the payment of February and March 2013 salaries of workers in the Obingwa local government area of Abia State, officials of the council have abandoned their duty post to avoid the anger of the workers.
Sources hint that tension is building in council as workers lament the delay in the payment salaries which is said to have been released by the state government.
The situation has continued to degenerate as most council workers no longer come to work while other only come to log in and return to their homes.
A cross section of workers who spoke to 247ureports.com said the situation has inflicted hardship on them as they now find it difficult transporting themselves to come to work.
A worker who gave her name as Ngozi said she now finds difficult to commute to work from Eziama Nvosi, a distant Community, from the secretariat. She added that her children have been missing classes since they were driven out of the private school they attend.
Others urged the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji to intervene as workers have suffered enough.” The state governor, Gov. Theodore Orji should intervene. He should sack Ben Nwogu for what he has been doing to the workers. We are always made to believe that the governor does not releases salaries on time, but it is not true.We are suffering from the management of Obingwa local government. It is not good to treat workers this way,” they stated.
An official of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the local government said they will be forced to stage protest marches if the situation does not improve by next week.
247ureports.com sources revealed that senior council officials like the Transition Committee, Head of Administration, Treasurers and Heads of Personnel Management have continued to shun the council secretariats to avoid the anger of the workers.
247ureports.com further gathered that funds released by the state government for the payment of salaries are said to be trapped in First bank over court order secured by a lawyer who did some legal services for the council.
Recall the workers had last week during the sensitization visit of the Abia PDP state executive to the council, booed their Transition Committee chairman Hon. Eze Walton and Head of Administration, Mr. Ben Nwogu over the delay in the payment of their salaries which are said to have since being released by the state government.
