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Friday, March 19, 2021

We are not ghosts, unpaid Imo workers throng Government House in protest

The frustrated civil servants came out in numbers at about 8:00 a.m., not minding the heavy downpour.

• March 18, 2021
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma [Photo credit: The Guardian Nigeria]

Hundreds of Imo State civil servants on Thursday besieged the Government House, Owerri to protest 12-month salary arrears.

This comes less than 24 hours after close to 300 primary and secondary school teachers in the state protested over the non-payment of their salaries.

The Nation reports that the frustrated civil servants came out in numbers at about 8:00 a.m., not minding the heavy downpour.

Peoples Gazette learnt the protesters blocked one lane of the government house roundabout, restricting vehicular movement to and fro the busy governor’s residence.

Videos circulating on social media shows hundreds of protesters carrying placards singing “I am not a ghost”.

Efforts to calm the protesters by some security personnel at the statehouse were abortive, the Gazette learnt.

The protesters came with their appointment letters, saying “they are here to prove to the governor that they are not ghost workers.

On Monday, Governor Hope Uzodinma denied owing workers. The governor said those complaining are ghost workers or fraudsters.

Mr. Uzodinma said all genuine workers in the state have received their salaries, challenging unpaid workers to come to the statehouse with their employment letters.

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

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