The Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has declared a seven-day warning strike across all the 23 local government areas over non-payment of salary to 300 staff of Emohua LGA.
NULGE Chairman in the state, Comrade Christopher Paul, told journalists in Port Harcourt that the action was to protest the refusal of the chairman of the LGA, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, to pay some workers who were reinstated by the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Paul stated that the affected workers had been receiving their salaries before the emergence of the Lloyd-led administration in the area.
He wondered why the reinstated workers would be denied their payment by the Dr. Lloyd-led administration.
The chairman warned that if the issue was not resolved after the end of the seven-day warning strike, the workers will embark on an indefinite strike.
“We are embarking on this strike because the current chairman of Emohua local government area, stopped the salary of over 300 workers in Emohua, and you will all agree with me that these workers had been receiving salaries for several months, since the governor of Rivers State graciously recalled them back.
“Even his predecessor, the outgone administrator of the LGA was paying them the salary up to their July salary. Only for him to resume office now and say he will not pay them salary and we said no, they are our members,” Paul said.
Howver, Dr. Lloyd has denied the claims. He told journalists in Port Harcourt that genuine workers of Emohua LGA were not being owed salaries, insisting that those protesting were never employees of the council.
