Imo Assembly Workers Lock-out Lawmakers Over Unpaid Salaries

 

The members of staff of the Imo State House of Assembly are exploiting all possible means to force their unpaid salaries out of the state government. On Wednesday, they switched of the power supply in the Assembly complex which brought about utmost darkness while the lawmakers were sitting.

 

Thursday, 20th of August marked a continued protest which has now aggravated to locking out the lawmakers in the state, reports The New Telegraph.

 

Reports have it that as early as 8am on Thursday, the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and angry House of Assembly workers barricaded the entrance to the Assembly complex denying lawmakers access to their offices and legislative chambers.

 

According to the information gathered by the correspondent of the New Telegraph, the workers are advocating for four months of unpaid salaries and are set to embark on a full strike action on Friday, 21st of August.

 

It, however, took the intervention of the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Acho Ihim to calm frayed nerves of the workers. The Speaker pleaded with the workers to give him a little time to redress the matter in the interest of all concerned.

Addressing the state Labour Congress and the workers, Ihim urged the workers to shelve their proposed strike action, saying it will jeopardise the smooth running of the Assembly and negatively impact on activities of government.
 

The lawmakers after the protest sat and quickly had the meeting adjourned. Governor Rochas Okorocha is currently out of the state and as promised, he will attend to the pressing salary issues as soon as he returns.