Unpaid salaries: Civil servants, pensioners paralyze Owerri

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Owerri, the Imo State capital, was virtually paralysed yesterday, as angry civil servants and pensioners trooped into the streets to protest months of unpaid salaries and allowances.

The protesting workers, and pensioner, who spotted black attire, also carried several placards with varying inscriptions, also sang derogatory songs against Governor Rochas Okorocha and his administration.

Rochas Okorocha

Some of the placards read: “Water have not been running in Imo since over 4 years;  Imo Newspapers workers owed a total of 23 and half months, arrears of salaries;  President Buhari come to the rescue of Imo State workers;  Our children are dying of hunger and disease;  Stop this impunity and pay LGA workers;  We say no to IMHA passing a bill on privatization of parastatals; and  Families of unpaid dead retired workers cry for justice.”

The protesters’ first port of call was the State House of Assembly where they barricaded the gates and prevented the lawmakers from entering the premises. There, they kicked against alleged planned passage of an obnoxious law to legalize and privatize all government parastatals in the state.

The Speaker, Mr. Acho Ihim, who barely managed to address the angry protsters, however dismissed the allegation as baseless.

Addressing the workers later at the Freedom Square, the state factional Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Austin Chilakpu, and the

Trade Union Congress, TUC, Chairman, Paul Akalazu, lamented the unpaid benefits.

After giving a breakdown of the unpaid salaries, they appealed to workers and pensioners to remain calm, and not to be intimidated by what they called “the dirty antics of the Head of Service, Mr. Callistus Ekenze, who allegedly compiled  list of workers absent from their duty posts to participate in the protest.

Government’s reaction

Reacting on behalf of Governor Okorocha, his media aide, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said “the labour leaders  should be patriotic and avoid being tools in the hands of some elements”.

Onwuemeodo’s reaction reads “One had expected the leaders of the organized labour in the state to appreciate the concerted effort the state government has been making to totally deal with the issues of salary and pensions. The labour leaders are also expected to show understanding knowing full well what the general situation is at the moment across the nation.

“The fact remains that the state government has been able, even without the much expected bailout fund, paid the civil servants, teachers and local government workers up to June salaries.  The government had also repeatedly made its position known on some of the parastatals, while steps are also being taken to handle issues of salaries in the parastatals once the panels reviewing their cases finish their jobs. On the issue of pensioners, their verification had begun earlier before now and is about to be concluded.  And once the verifications are over, the state government would begin to act to that effect since the desire of the governor and the government he superintends, is to see Imo people happy.”

“The labour leaders are aware of these government’s efforts.  Yet, they forced workers to embark on one week strike, even in breach of the agreement they had reached and signed with the state government.  And even when they know too, that the bailout fund has not come. Against the backdrop of all these glaring facts, the leaders of the organized labour in the state also called the workers out on  Tuesday August 25, 2015  on protest, and two days after they heard that the Election Petition Tribunal would be giving Judgment on the appeal by one of the candidates in the April governorship election, against the electoral victory of the governor.”