May Day: Benue Government Workers Boycott Workers' Day Celebration Over Unpaid Salaries

Posted by Nicholas on Fri 01st May, 2015 - tori.ng

Government workers in Benue state decided to stay indoors for the workers' day celebration as most of them clearly feel there is nothing to celebrate as the government is still yet to pay salaries for two months back.

Government workers in Benue State all refused to participate in the activities marking the workers day celebration, saying they are owed salaries by the state government and there is no basis for jubilation.

This year’s celebration of workers day in Benue state witnessed a very low turn out of civil servants at the popular IBB square Makurdi, venue of the supposed joyous occasion.

It was very clear to see that the arena for the event was not filled with many workers especially state civil servants because many of them complained of lack of transport fare.

A civil servant who simply gave his name as Mr. Kuma said “there is no basis going out to celebrate the workers day, under the scorching sun, when the state government has not paid salaries of workers for several months.”

However, it was observed that only a handful of workers participated in the march pass parade, just as top government officials also failed to attend the ceremony.

Governor Gabriel Suswam was conspicuously absent to the celebration to rekindle the hopes of state workers and or assure them that their owed salaries would be cleared within a shortest possible time.

He was represented in the occasion by the state Head of Service, Mr. Terna Ahua who told the workers that the state government is seriously exploring urgent measures to raise adequate finances to offset the salary backlog.