Teachers in Plateau LG demand payment of salary arrears

Primary school teachers and five other trade unions in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau on Monday protested non-payment of their salary arrears.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports in Mangu that the teachers, in conjunction with other unions, including NULGE, NUT, Nurses and Midwives Association filed out the streets of Mangu chanting slogans and demanding payment of their salaries.
The demonstrators, who began their protest at the NUT House in Mangu, filed out into various streets within the town before entering the Council Secretariat, where they were addressed by the Council Chairman, Danjuma Haruna.
The spokesman of the demonstrators, Ephraim Kwarpo, told the Chairman that they were demonstrating because of the non-payment of their January and February salary arrears.
Kwarpo said: “For two months we have not been paid our salaries and we are finding life so difficult, especially feeding and payment of the school fees of our wards.
“More disturbing is the news that Account of Mangu Council has been frozen by the EFCC over allegations not known to us and we want to let the world know that we are suffering as a result.”
Kwarpo also stressed that the delay was unacceptable.
He said: “We learnt it’s only here in Mangu, out of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state, that we are yet to be paid our salaries.’’
The Council Chairman, however, pleaded with them to be patient as efforts were being made to ensure that the arrears were paid without further delay.
Haruna said: “The rumours going round that the council’s account has been frozen by EFCC is not true. We have no problem of financial misappropriation; talk less of having issues with any security agency.
“The delay is as a result of shortage of funds, which we are trying to address and pay you people as soon as possible.”
Haruna urged the demonstrators to give the council more time to address the problem in no distant time.
Also, Nelson Bakfur, the Paramount ruler of Mwaghavul people in Mangu, pleaded with the protesters to show some restraint and go about the protest peacefully, during a visit to his palace.
Bakfur, who expressed surprise that the salaries still lingered after a stakeholders’ meeting, further advised them to give the council more time to address the issue.
NAN reports that the demonstration, which started in the morning, ended in the afternoon.