By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Scores of aggrieved local government workers, who were recently sacked unceremoniously, peacefully protested in Owerri municipality yesterday.

The protesters marched to the Owerri office of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, where they registered their grievances and later processed to the State Secretariat, Port Harcourt Road, Owerri.

Vanguard gathered from the protesters that “no fewer than 2,000 workers were eased out of the local government  service and it cut across the 27 local council areas of the state”.

Protesters

What irked the angry workers most was that “none of the affected workers was issued any sack letter and our names have been expunged from the payroll of the state government”.

One of the female protesters said: “How can anybody explain our present predicament? We have not been given any letter that explains our sorry situation. I can’t say if I have been retired, terminated, suspended or any other term government may use to explain my situation”.

Another worker from Obowo local government area lamented that the state leadership of the Imo State Chapter of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, “have shown pitiable indifference to our plight”.

They alleged that their sack “was fraudulent and borders on sheer witch hunt by government officials.”

When contacted, one of the local government treasurers (name withheld), confirmed that “the affected staff have not been paid since January 2017”.

Continuing, the Treasurer said: “The list of those suspended by government was sent to the respective local government administration and pasted on the notice boards. It is left to the directors of administration and general services to write the affected staff accordingly. Some have done this and others have not.”