Unpaid salaries: Tension as Benue civil servants begin indefinite strike

Aggrieved Benue State civil servants, yesterday, commenced an indefinite strike called by the organised labour in protest over backlog of unpaid salaries. The action has led to the shutdown of ministries, departments and agencies, including all government-owned primary and post-primary schools in the state.

When Vanguard visited some government offices and schools in and around Makurdi town, they were all deserted, while some had labour officials at their entrances monitoring and enforcing compliance. Speaking on the development, the state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Chairman, Mr. Godwin Anya, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance exhibited by workers.

Anya noted that labour was opened to negotiations with the state government to amicably resolve the matter. Reacting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Terver Akase, who attributed the development to the drastic fall in revenue accruable to state since the advent of the administration, said Governor Samuel Ortom was not sleeping over the issue, assuring that the government was making concerted efforts to clear the salary backlog. Vanguard