Strong indications have emerged that some caretaker chairmen in the 23 LGAs of Rivers State would be shown the way out of office over what is described as insubordination against the governor’s directive on payment of salaries and clearance of arrears owed workers at the local government areas.
Exception of Opobo, Abua/Odual, Oyigbo, Tai and Ahoada West Local Government Areas amongst others that cleared the backlog of salary arrears some of the chairmen are still battling with how much to cart away from the allocation meant for salaries.
Some of the civil servants who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Newswriter expressed worries over non clearance of their salaries and arrears by their CTC chairmen irrespective of the instructions of the governor.
The Newswriter however, gathered that in local government in the Ahoada axis of the state, where several months salaries were owed, the incumbent CTC chairman have cleared the backlog with a promise to pay October salaries as soon as allocations are received with other incentives to workers.
The condition of service have now improved in Tai and Opobo where workers are also thanking the governor for the appointment of workers friendly chairmen whose concerned for workers welfare according to them are second to none.
The Newswriter investigation revealed that the situation in some local government areas are so bad that the principal officers and CTC chairmen are insensitive to human or workers plight as they collaborate to short pay or in some cases credit bank accounts of workers without the actual cash in such accounts.
According to credible sources, the CTC chairmen and principal officers in their connivance blamed the situation for lack of money even in the obvious light of the released allocation to pay workers.
Workers in the several affected LGAs who applauded the state governor for withholding security votes of the CTC chairmen equally insist that the LGAs which consciously refused to pay up to date their salaries should be further directed to do so or be penalized.
Other workers as well opined that the CTC chairmen be relieved of their positions to enable the peoples minded chairman to emerge.
In the circumstance, The Newswriter political desk gathered further that, irrespective of their pledge to foster new relationship with workers some of the CTC bosses have neglected the governor’s order, by not paying up to date of workers’ salaries.
Some of the LGAs that have not cleared their workers’ salaries and arrears according to our sources as at the time of filing this report include, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Degema, Omuma, Andoni, Bonny, Emohua, Ogba, Egbama, Ndoni amongst others.
The Newswriter learnt that, the amended Rivers State local government laws does not preclude sack of any CTC chairman who underperform or disobey the state and service policies of securing the workers welfare.
If information within our newsroom is what going by, then some CTC chairmen may risk sack. ###
