Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Local government council workers and primary school teachers in Enugu State are currently groaning over non-payment of May salaries by the new administration in the state.
Investigation by Ikengaonline shows that the situation is due to the freezing of all government accounts in the state by Gov. Peter Mbah.
It would be recalled that Mbah had announced the freezing of all government accounts few days after he was sworn-in.
A reliable source told Ikengaonline that the closure of the accounts affected the LG councils’ accounts hence everything is at a standstill at the third tier.
“As I speak, LG staff’s salaries across the 17 councils, as well as primary school teachers, have not been paid because the accounts have been frozen by the new governor without recourse to the plight of the workers,” he said.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, further blamed the former governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for their predicament.
“The immediate past Governor deliberately directed the payment of state government workers, but at the LG council level all statutory payments were not effected including LG staff, teachers and other ancillary staff salaries.
“I am aware that they use LG accounts for “out of the budget” expenditure, like funding of some state-owned tertiary institutions and political patronage, ” he said.
Investigation also revealed that the local government chairmen were handicapped as they are just mere stooges without any say, especially in terms of usage of funds accruing to the councils.
Our source revealed that the former governor was the de facto chairman of chairmen of all the councils where he appropriated council funds the way he wished.
“He directs the affairs using the chairmen; he directs them on what to do and they dare not do otherwise,” he said.
Ikengaonline understands that the chairmen are yet to reach the new governor, Peter Mbah, on the way forward.
