Protesting Edo councillors fight over N.25m mobilisation

The protest by elected councillors in Edo State over the non-payment of their five months salaries took a new dimension yesterday when they engaged themselves over N250,000 allegedly given to them to stage the protest.

The councillors, who are mainly members of the APC, had staged a peaceful protest on the streets of Benin, the Edo State capital to demand the payment of their salaries and other entitlements.

But over an hour after leaving the secretariat of the Nigeria

Union of Journalists (NUJ) Edo State Council, the protesters returned and engaged in a war of words over the mobilisation money.

They alleged that the sponsor of the protest had given the money to mobilise them for the protest. Trouble, however, ensued over the sharing formula of the money.

One of the leaders of the group, who denied receiving any money for the protest, however, explained that they contributed the said amount to mobilize others for the protest.

Earlier, the group's leaders, Hon Emwinghare Osabuohien, alleged that the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, had stopped their salaries since May for refusing to follow him to the PDP.

Responding, Governor Obaseki through his spokesman, Crusoe Osagie, denied owing salaries and emoluments of the councillors.

"So, the claims being made by some people over owed salaries are baseless. The allegation that these persons are being owed over political differences is even more ridiculous. The allegations are false and should be disregarded,” he said.