By UMAR MUHAMMED

Aggrieved workers of Doma Local Government area of Nasarawa State on Friday staged a protest over the non-payment of their two months salaries and the alleged disappearance of N20 million deducted from their salaries by the Federal Mortgage Housing Scheme.

Daily Trust gathered that the aggrieved workers blocked the convoy of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, who is an indigene of Doma.

Akabe alongside the embattled Council Chairman, Mr. Rabo Sani, had met with the workers to plead with them to remain calm.

They told the workers that the state government is doing everything possible to address their predicament but the protesting workers reportedly ignored their plea as they barricaded the road.

Our correspondent reports that, the blockage of the road began from Monday this week as they conducted “a special prayer” in the middle of the road.

The Council Chairman blamed his predecessors for the inability of the council to pay the workers, saying illegal employment of civil servants worsened the situation.

According to him, “I did not employ a single civil servant, but my predecessors made the mistake, by employing over 500 civil servants.”

He, however, stated that the rationale behind the protest was due to the shortage of funds to pay workers salaries, noting that it is as a statewide problem.

On the missing Federal Mortgage Housing fund, he debunked the rumour, adding that the Local Government borrowed the money to pay workers salaries.

“The money of Federal Mortgage Housing fund is not missing rather we borrowed the money to pay staff salaries, saying that all the Union leaders were aware of the transaction,” he said.

“What I’m saying in essence is that there was a consultation and agreement before we arrived at that.”

He said the 13 Local Government Councils of the state needed a sum of N2.1 billion to settle two months staff salaries

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the local government Mr. Baba Ali, could not be reached for comment as at the time of filling in this report. (Daily Trust)

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