Nasarawa Workers Protest 50 Per Cent Cut In Salaries

Nasarawa workers have protested a 50 per cent cut in their salaries and allowances by the state government.

To demonstrate their grievances, the workers paralysed socio-economic and government activities in Lafia, the state capital.The angry workers, who carried placards, wept, sang and pronounced unprintable curses on the administration. They described the proposed salary template by Nasarawa state government as a crime.

The leader of the protesting workers, Gabriel Agbashi, in his speech at the gate of the state government house, accused Al-Makura of killing the local government system. He described the development as a bad signal to the existence of the state.

Attempts by government delegation led by the Head of Service, Joseph Ancho and the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for salary to address the protesting workers, were resisted by the angry crowd.

The state Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Abdullahi Adeka, told newsmen that the decision to slash workers salary was not in the interest of the State and the nation.

According to him the downward review of salary is not realistic and timely considering the fact that President Mohammadu Buhari has set up a committee for the upward review of salary.

The Union then gave the state government 48 hours ultimatum to reverse its decision or face total shutdown of activities in the state.The state government has admitted falling short of cash to pay civil servants the former salary wage and for essential services, disclosing that for the past five months the state as spent over N1.6 billion to augment staff salaries and over head cost.