‘We’re Not Ghost Workers,’ Protesting Imo Workers Storm Govt House With Employment Letters

The serene environment of the Imo State Government House was on Thursday picketed by a crowed of civil servants who were protesting non-payment of their salary arrears.

The civil servants arrived at the government house in their thousands on Thursday morning and blocked vehicular movement into and out of the premises.

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Efforts by security men to disperse the protesting civil servants proved abortive as they maintained that their cries must be heard.

The protesters who stormed the government house with their appointment and posting letters said they were not ghost workers as the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, had earlier claimed.

The governor had on several occasions claimed that all genuine civil servants in the state had been paid their salaries and labeled those complaining over unpaid salaries as ghost workers.

One of the protesting civil servants who identified himself as Celeb, told journalists that the statement of the governor was “discouraging” to them.

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He said “We have come to puncture the statement of the governor that those who have not received their salaries up date are ghost workers. That is why we have come with our letters of appointments and that of our postings.

“We are over one thousand here and we cut across different Local Governments, ministries at the state level and others. There are others who have not received their salaries in the last one year among us here. For me, I have not been paid in the last eight months. It is unfortunate that the governor is owing us and he is still lying against us and painting us in bad colours.”

The civil servants said that they would not vacant the government house entrance gate until they were paid.

Another civil servant who didn’t want his name mentioned said, “We will resume 7am here every day going forward until we are paid. I am a secondary school teacher and I have not been paid in the last 12 months. This is the 13th month. Since this governor assumed office, I have only received one-month salary and that was January 2020. What kind of wickedness is this? What kind of leaders do we have in this country? Do these people think if we are feeding our families and offsetting our children school fees and other financial costs or not.”

When contacted for comments, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media, Modestus Nwamkpa, promised to get back to our correspondent. He was yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

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