In a determined bid to make ends meet as a result of the failure of the government to clear backlog of owed salaries, a senior servant in Benue has resorted to hawing in the streets.
The civil servant hawkaing groundnut
A 46-year-old staff of Benue State Environmental Sanitation Agency (BENSESA) identified as Godwin Oga, has resorted to hawking groundnuts on the streets of Makurdi, the state capital.
While speaking exclusively to Benue News, the father-of-three, said he started the business last month after he was unable to provide food for his family following government's inability to pay salaries for several months.
“I have so far spent 15 years in service with BENSESA and have also been screened in the ongoing state government screening exercise.
“I started this groundnut business earlier in June this year to prevent hunger and starvation of my family and to buy medications,” he explained.
He added that despite being a laughing stock, he preferred the business to stealing, urging other civil servants in the same situation as his, to also seek alternative means of survival.
The state government owes upwards of five months unpaid salaries to state governments workers and eight months for local government workers and teachers; pensioners are also owed over a year’s wages.