Nasarawa: Doma LG workers protest non payment of salaries amid missing N20 million allegation

Doma Local Government Area staff workers in Nasarawa have protested the non payment of their salaries for quite sometimes now.

Our correspondent gathered that the aggrieved workers started their protest with special prayers at the middle of the road seeking for God’s intervention.

Some of the protesters told our correspondent that recently there was N20 million which disappeared into thin air from their salary account in the guise of contributions to Federal Mortgage Housing Scheme.

Efforts by the state, Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe to wade into the situation as at the time of the protest didn’t yield results.

The state number two citizen who hail from Doma Local Government Area was at his home town for condolence visit, but did all he could to end the protest without success.

CAPITAL POST reports that, Dr. Akabe who the angry protesters initially stopped him was later allowed to proceed to Lafia by the protesting workers.

While answering questions from journalists the Council Chairman, Rabo Sani attributed hardship faced by councils to illegal employment of workers by previous administration at the local levels in the State.

According, to him, “since I assumed office about 3 years ago, I did not employ any single person in the service of Doma Local Government and I also inherited over 3000 to 4000 workers.”

Sani bemoaned reasons and manner such numbers of workers gained employment without following what he called due process.

“Let me also inform you that what we are facing now is not far from shortage of resources to enable council Chairmen pay workers salary comfortably.

Only few out of 13 LG can pay their staff without hitches. He said.

He debunked allegations making the round that money meant for Federal Housing Funds was missing.

The council boss confirmed that the council borrowed the money
to settle workers’ arrears of previous months.

“This was not done untill we called for a meeting of all union leaders which we briefed them of our intention and all of them saw reason with the management and agreed to our submission.

“We put before them so, for anybody to claim that the money was missing is not true. They should ask their union leaders first.

The Council boss also confirmed that what local government councils needed to offset salary arreas in the state amounts to N2.1 billion.

At the time of going to the press all afforts to reach the union officials was not successful.