Okowa town hall meetings face embarrassment as NULGE begins showdown

The widely reported town hall meetings planned by Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa across the State with effect from Monday May 8 is likely to face the biggest embarrassment as the Delta State Chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE has resolved to stage statewide protests over unpaid salary arrears of Local Government workers, ranging from 8 to 13 months.

In a press statement issued yesterday night (Thursday May 4) after an exhaustive emergency meeting, the Local Government Workers Union vehemently rejected the payment of primary school staff salaries at the expense of local government workers.

The union unequivocally demanded that the Okowa led Delta State Government “should reinstate the augmentation for payment of Primary School Teachers’ salaries as Local Government Councils can no longer alone bear the burden”.

Fresh Angle International findings reveal that the Chief James Ibori and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan administration in Delta State augmented the Local Government Councils’ share of the monthly Federal allocation with at-least N600 million monthly, but Dr. Okowa stopped the implementation immediately he assumed office, thus leaving the burden of  payment of Primary School staff on the Local Government Councils alone.

The statement which was signed by the State NULGE Secretary, Comrade Peter Ene, declared “a 21-day ultimatum to the State Government, commencing Friday May 5, within which all arrears of salaries ranging from 8-13 months should be paid or be ready to face industrial action”.

While tasking Governor Okowa to revert to the old order of uniform payment of both Local Government employees and Primary School teachers “with resources available”, NULGE averred that it “shall organize mass protests rally in the three senatorial districts within the 21-day ultimatum, while the mother of all rallies shall hold in Asaba and will have in attendance NULGE National President, Civil Society groups and Human right activists”.

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