Ebonyi workers jubilate as govt begins payment of salary arrears

Civil servants working for the Ebonyi State government yesterday in Abakaliki expressed joy and relief as they received the June and July salary arrears owed to them.

The jubilant workers were seen celebrating as they received credit alerts from their various banks.

A cross section of the workers said the development had ended weeks of financial and social difficulties, saying the payment had provided succour to their families.

Mrs Eucharia Egwu of the Ministry of Information and Orientation said the payment had ended dark days and misery for workers in the state.

“We indeed went through hell in these two months because of non-payment of our salaries by the government.

“It was a period of misery and agony as many civil servants, especially those of us in the lower echelon, could not afford a decent meal for our families.

“Some even lost loved ones to curable illnesses due to lack of fund to access medical facility. We pray that government should make payment of workers’ salaries top priority to save them from starvation as well as encourage productivity,” Egwu said.

Another civil servant, Mr Nnachi Awah of the Ministry of Youths and Sports, said he received salary alert and thanked government for living up to the agreement it entered into with workers.

He said that payment of workers based on the 50 per cent salary increment approved by the former administration of Chief Martin Elechi motivate workers.

“I just got salary credit alert for two months this morning (Wednesday). It had been a terrible period for workers who were made to starve for these two months due to non- payment of their wages. But I am happy that the labour-government impasse was resolved rather very peacefully and that workers can enjoy their monthly pay without undue delays,’’ Awah said.

Chukwudi Ajaero of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs said the development would reduce labour unrest in the state and urged government to treat workers with dignity.

“It is irresponsible on the part of government to owe workers for job done and this encourages constant unrest in the system.

“My appeal is that government should put salaries of the entire workers in the first line charge in order to ensure regular payments of their salaries,” he said.

Meanwhile, local government staff had alleged that they were yet to receive any salary alert like their state counterparts and expressed shock over the development.

Local government staff were being owed three months salary arrears made up of May, June and July wages.

Reacting to the allegation, the Ebonyi Head of Service (HoS), Dr Chamberlin Nwele, said that the payment was being done in phases.

He said all employees would be paid before the end of the week.

“Government is committed to clearing the backlog of salaries owed its employees either in the local governments or at the state level.

“The payment is done in phases in line with the verification conducted for all the workers. But our assurance is that all workers in the state will receive their salaries before the end of this week as directed by the governor,” Nwele said.

Ebonyi workers embarked on a two-day strike between July 28 and 29 which was suspended following intervention by some ‘elders’ of the state.