The ordeal faced by the workers of Bali Local Government Area in Taraba State due to the non-payment of salaries demands urgent attention and resolution.
By prioritizing financial transparency, accountability, and employee welfare, the local government can demonstrate its commitment to good governance practices and ensure the well-being and productivity of its workforce.
This has resulted in hunger, starvation, lack of access to health services, and other forms of hardship.
The workers numbering 64 from different departments in the council said the local government chairman, Aboki Dauda, had withheld their salaries for the past four months without any justification.
In an interview, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the council, Comrade Abdulmumuni Isa, confirmed the development.
The NULGE chairman said the problem started when the council embarked on staff audit and verification in December 2023. “The situation led to the removal of some of the staff members from the bursary which affected some of the genuine workers of the local government,” Isa said.
On their part, the workers said they have been on the payroll of the local government before Dauda was elected as its chairman.
One of the affected workers said, “We were genuinely employed in different departments of Bali local government area, we have our pay slips and have been collecting our monthly salaries. We have our promotions and all the required documents to prove to any authority as the council staff.
“The unjust treatment meted on us is unimaginable, we are passing through serious hardship, coupled with the national economic crisis and the one initiated by our council, it has not been easy for the past four months. Our children can’t return to schools; we can’t attend to medication nor eat well.”
The leader of the affected workers Mallam Kashimu Bello who unveiled the list of his colleagues said the workers have initiated plans to stage a protest at the Taraba State House of Assembly to submit their grievances to Governor Agbu Kefas.
Efforts to reach the council chairman via series of calls and messages to his mobile phone proved abortive.
His lack of response to phone calls and messages signifies a deliberate choice to withhold communication. It is essential to approach situations like these with empathy, understanding, and a willingness to engage in open dialogue to foster mutual understanding and respect.
