Unpaid workers storm govt house to challenge Gov Uzodinma’s claim they are ‘ghost workers’

Thousands of civil servants on Thursday blocked the entrance gate to the Imo State Government House in Owerri to protest non-payment of salaries.

The civil servants who came with their appointment letters said they would resume at the state government house until their salaries are paid.

The civil servants arrived at 8am to prove to the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, that they were not ghost workers.

The governor on Monday said genuine workers have been paid and those yet to receive their salary payments were either ‘ghost workers’ or fraudsters

“This government has paid every genuine worker; those complaining of non-payment are either ghost workers or fraudsters.

“I am challenging anybody who has not received his or her salary to come to Government House with his employment details and we will pay him or her immediately,” he said.

Governor Uzodinma said a “monumental fraud” has been discovered in the state government payroll.

READ ALSO: Uzodinma bemoans existence of ghost workers on Imo State payroll

One of the protesting civil servants who simply identified himself as Caleb told journalists that the statement of the governor was “discouraging” to them.

He said, “We have come to puncture the statement of the governor that those who have not received their salaries update are ghost workers. That is why we have come with our letters of appointments and that of our postings.

“We are over one thousand here. There are others who have not received their salaries in the last one year among us here. For me, I have not been paid in the last eight months. It is unfortunate that the governor is owing us and he is still lying against us and painting us in bad colours.”

Another protester who preferred anonymity said “We will resume 7am here every day going forward until we are paid. I am a secondary school teacher and I have not been paid in the last 12 months. This is the 13th month. Since this governor assumed office, I have only received one month salary and that was January 2020. What kind of wickedness is this?. What kind of leaders do we have in this country?”

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