The newly elected Governor of Benue state Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has paid workers their first salary in the last seven months.
The workers, whose joy knew no bounds, said it felt so good to get paid after working without pay for the past seven months.
One of the workers under the state government’s employ stated that he got an alert at about 8 pm on Sunday.
He told Daily Trust:
“Now, I can put my car to use, send some money to my sick mother and buy food for my household. I’m not the only one excited, everyone in my office feels good, too, and those who haven’t been coming to work are at their duty post this morning.
“We hope to get another three months of salary before the end of the week.”
Also, another worker, Fidelis, said he got a one-month alert of payment of his salary on Monday morning after being owed for eight months.
Fidelis and another worker, Daniel, expressed delight that the one-month salary paid to them would cushion the effect of hardship their families have been through in the past months of unpaid wages.
The state’s Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) chairman, Terungwa Igbe, also confirmed that the workers had been paid one month’s salary.
Chairman of the Concerned/Aggrieved Pensioners in Benue State, Comrade Akosu Ioream, said,
“Local government pensioners of the primary school board have started receiving alerts, but that is not verified news.
“As for Benue State pensioners which I’m the chairman, we have not started receiving any alerts; we are having our exco meeting now, so if something like that had happened I would have known.
“We’re hoping that any moment from now, we will get our alerts; I hear that the delay is because they want to rid ghost pensioners and other irregularities as our voucher is being prepared.”
