BY OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—ANGRY civil servants in Oyo State yesterday hurled stones and other objects at their leaders for agreeing with the state government’s decision to pay N9, 400 instead of the N18, 000 new minimum wage.

The  calm atmosphere at the state council of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, secretariat, Agodi, turned chaotic as the workers openly disagreed with their Chairman, Comrade Basiru Olanrewaju.

The anxious workers became restive when the NLC Chairman announced that they (labour leaders) were informed at Tuesday’s meeting with government that the old wage of N9, 400 had already been remitted into the workers’ accounts.

The NLC Chairman said the government promised to pay the balance of the salary after the negotiation would have been concluded.

The workers however insisted that it was either the N18, 000 new wage or nothing and wondered while their leaders could not insist on the new minimum wage signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan earlier in March.

The chairman was still speaking when the workers started throwing stones and other objects at the labour  leaders. They chanted songs that on the N18, 000 they stood.

Speaking on the development, Olanrewaju said, “.we reported to the workers what the state government told us. The workers themselves admitted that the N9, 4000 was paid into their account last week. But they have insisted that they would not take any balance.

This is the situation. They started protesting, throwing things at us. So, we have towait for the national secretariat before taking any further decision. We have to wait for the resolution of the national” Olanrewaju.”