While thousands of helpless pensioners across the twenty three (23) Local Government Areas in the state are crying of hunger, starvation and poverty, the state Governor Barr. Nyesom Wike is somehow seems less concern about their plight, making many of the pensioner to tag him a face of a deceitful Governor.
But, still across the state, some Wike`s political faithful and loyalists are clapping and hailing him for his developmental strides especially in the construction of roads and projects across the state as well.
The Town crier online investigations based on the Governor recent approach in which he threw caution into the wind by going as far as purchasing a highly costly 15 Land Cruiser Prado VX and TXL cars as a gift to members of the National Assembly even with salaries and allowances of workers across the LGAs yet to be paid.
The Town Crier have realizably gathered that out of 70% percent workforce of the state government are owned salaries and other benefits; this we gathered is exclusive of those under the local Government control.
Just last week, over one hundred workers in Ahoada West Local Government Area, took to the streets, cities and strategies offices to demand for payment of their 13 months backlog of salaries,allowances and arrears.
They accused the Chairman of the Local Government area, Hon.Hope Ikiriko of vehemently refusing to pay them their backlog of 13th month salary, pointing out that the LGA chairman’s means of payment to workers in the council has been under selective approach.
The sacked staff through one of its leaders, Dekpokda, said some of their members have died as a result of the hash condition they have been subjected to, especially at this point when the world is experiencing economic meltdown.
They further maintained that inspite of what they go through in the face of the economy ,the chairman have refused to see reasons with them by ensuring their payment, worst amongst what annoys them is that they were duly employed on the recommendation of the Local Government Civil service commission with necessary evidence to back their claims.
The disengaged staff however, used the opportunity to call on the state Governor and relevant authorities to come to their aid.
But in a swift response, the media officer to the council, once Madume D.Madukke has dismissed the sacked staff claims, describing them as ghost workers.
The media office has said, genuine staff of the council was duly captured according to the audit exercise that was conducted by the council and therefore further dismissed the sacked staff claims.
The media officer linked the protesters as ghost workers that are bent in causing disaffection between genuine staff of the council.
Recall that in the early quarter of this year an Ngo headed by one Solomon Lemu once threatened that workers from the four Ogoni extractions may be forced to chase out non-Ogoni Indigenes from their land should the action of the Ahoada West council continue.
He said that their action shall be predicated on the grounds that the Ahoada West council Chairman Hon. Hope Ikiriko, a former member of the state House of Assembly has refused to pay Ogoni indigenes working in their council.
Investigation by this Online revealed that the disengaged staff who majority are indigenes of Ogoni extraction affected we have gathered were duly employed through the local Government Civil service commission and posted to the LGA.
