..We can’t meet workers’ demands now —Minister

ABUJA—Staff of Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, yesterday, protested neglect in the hands of the minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, saying their welfare had been compromised as a result.

The placard-wielding protesters, who chanted songs of displeasure and blocked the gate of the ministry, told reporters that they were subjected to work under poor conditions, delay in payment of promotion arrears, non-payment of repatriation allowances and selective training of staff.

Leader of the protest, who is the union chairman, Ministry of Information, Comrade Wadam Wuron, said staff were fed up with the antics of the minister.

Lai Mohammed

He said: “Today is the day of judgment, we all have to take our destiny in our hands. Enough is enough of the tricks that the management of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture has been playing on us.  Since the inception of this management, nothing has moved.

“We are fed up; there are no working materials, people are retiring, no allowance, no penny in this ministry. Our staff went for sports, they won many medals that have made this ministry proud, nothing’s being done for them.”

Speaking on the protest in his ministry, Mohammed said it was not possible for government to  meet the workers’  demands due to paucity of funds.

He said: “It is not unusual for unions to call for the removal of ministers.  They are complaining about welfare but there is a limit to what government can do within available resources.

“As much as we sympathise with them on the situation, the economy is simply not healthy enough to accommodate what it used to accommodate.”

“If anybody is concerned and worried about expenditures in my ministry, they should go and check because it is open.”

“ We have appealed to them several times but we met a culture that we cannot sustain.

“If and when the economy improves, we will look into some of the grievances that are genuine. We listen to them, they always meet with the Permanent secretary and directors.

“ But once the resources are not there, there is little we can do. We will just continue to plead with them to be patient with us.”.