Salary arrears: Protesting workers shut Edo LG secretariat

Workers protest non-payment of salary arrears at Etsako West Local Government Council on Thursday. | Credit: Adeyinka Adedipe.

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Activities in the Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State were grounded on Thursday as workers locked the gate of the council, protesting the non-payment of their salary arrears.

The shutting of the council prevented the Chairman, Valentine Okwillagwe, from exiting the premises during the protest.

PUNCH Online reports that the workers then continued their protest at the gate of the council to demand their salary arrears.

Okwillagwe, in a telephone interview with our reporter, stated that the salary arrears were from previous administrations, noting that the government of Monday Okpebholo has made payments of salaries a top priority.

He said the protest was politically-motivated, wondering why the workers did not protest the payment of the arrears during past administrations.

He said, “What is happening is politically-motivated. We are not owing any salary, and as you know, the government of Senator Monday Okpebholo has made payments of salary a top priority.

“The latest we have paid salaries in the local government secretariat is on the 24th of every month. This month, their salaries will be paid on the 16th.

“What they are protesting are arrears owed them by previous administrations. I have paid them the arrears for 2020. These salaries were owed in 2011, 2012 and 2017.

The councill boss further said, “When I assumed office, the salary arrears we met were 2017, 2020, 2014, and they said they have deductions for 2019.

“We have had chairmen before I came on board; the same NULGE chairman and workers were there, they didn’t lock the gate, they never protested, so why now?”

Efforts to get the NULGE chairman, Edeipo Ahmed, were abortive as his phone was switched off.

However, one of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the government is continuous and the workers can demand what is owed to them when they feel it is time.

He said, “We are not saying that the salary arrears are being owed by the present leadership of the council. However, we can decide to ask for it anytime we deem it fit.

“There is no political motivation behind this demand. All we want is the arrears, which can do the workers a lot of good at this time.”

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