Imo civil servants protest non-payment of salaries

Civil Servants in Imo State on Thursday barricaded the entrance of Douglas House over non payment of their salaries and allowances.

This is contrary to claims by the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, that they are being paid as and when due.

Governor Hope Uzodimma had, while briefing members of the correspondents chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), said he was not owing any civil servant in the state.

He said those who had yet to receive their salaries up to date were ghost workers.

But the civil servants, numbering over 1, 000 had arrived at the Government House in Owerri as early as 8am, preventing vehicles from going in and out of the seat of power.

The situation created panic as security men manning the gate battled in vain to disperse the protesting Civil Servants.

They said that they were at the Government House to prove to the state governor that they were not ghost workers.

One of the protesting workers, who simply identified himself as Caleb, described the governor’s statement as unfortunate.

He said, “We have come to puncture the statement of the governor that those who have not received their salaries are ghost workers. That is why we have come with our letters of appointments and that of our postings.

“We are over 1000 here. There are others who have not received their salaries in the last one year among us here. For me, I have not been paid in the last eight months. It is unfortunate that the governor is owing us and he is still lying against us and painting us in bad colours.”

The protesting workers vowed not to vacate the entrance gate of the Government House until they were paid.

They said they will resume 7am there every day going forward until they are paid.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, was not available for comments as his phone couldn’t be reached.