From Ochei Matthew, Asaba
As the backlog of the local government salaries runs into 10 months in the state, two staffers of local government in Delta state have reportedly slumped and died at the duty post.
Reports said that in Ukwani local government area of the state where a 52 years old man came to work last week Thursday but could not go back as he collapsed in the office as about 12 noon. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but gave up to ghost after an hour.
In other local government reports said that council staff die daily as a result of unpaid salaries, as hunger and lack of money for treatment contributed to their death.
As it is, many of the affected workers have absconded from their duty posts, complaining that they do not want to collapse in their offices because of hunger.
Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Delta state chapter, Hon. Malik Ikpokpo, said that councils in the state were being owned salaries because of the downturn in the economy.
Ikpokpo who is the chairman of Isoko South Local Government Area, said “I can confirm to you that in my council, workers have not been paid in the past 10 months and it is very disturbing to me”
“The council is practically getting zero allocation every month after obligatory deduction of N130 million for payment of salaries of primary school teachers, two percent allocation for agriculture, royal father’s stipend and other deductions. You can imagine where there is no money to pay salary of workers, how do we get money to carry out project? I want to improve the primary health care in my area, repair some bad roads and so many things, but where is the money?
Meanwhile, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had said that the issue of local government unpaid salaries was beyond his government.
The governor who disclosed this in Asaba at a forum to mark the celebration of his one year in office, said he has no solution to the local government predicament as it related to salary.
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