By Anayo Okoli

UMUAHIA — ABIA State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has given the Accountant- General of the state, Mr. Gabriel Onyedinefu, a week within which to retract his statement that the state government was not owing workers one kobo, saying he lied about the government’s indebtedness to workers.

Onyendilefu was quoted in a national paper as saying that the state government had paid its workers up till May.

But Chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, who gave the ultimatum yesterday, warned that should the Accountant-General fail to retract his statement, the union would take the case to its national headquarters for necessary action.

The labour leader disagreed with the Accountant-General’s position, insisting that the government still owed its workers several months arrears of salaries.

According to the state chairman of NLC, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, the Accountant-General deceived the public by his statement.

He said over nine parastatals still owed salary arrears, ranging from three to eight months.

Obigwe named the parastatals being owed to include Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, which he said is owedeight months, Hospital Management Board, seven months, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, four months and Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, six months.

Obigwe said teachers in the state were owed six months salary arrears; local government workers, three months; the state radio station, BCA, three months; Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, four months; and College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, seven months.

Obigwe said Labour was disappointed that the Accountant-General would dish out such lies to the public, when workers were actually suffering.

He urged the Accountant-General to retract his statement and tell the public the truth.