…demand 9-month salary arrears
…seek Obaseki’s intervention
Workers in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State have accused the council chairman, Hon. Scott Osazee Ogbemudia of embezzling over N60 million ‘welfare fund,’ a staff contribution by over 500 employees of the council.
The employees also alleged that the chairman had since March 2020 commenced half salary payment to the employees with the excuse that Governor Godwin Obaseki had cut local government allocations.
One of the affected staff who spoke to our correspondent said this was the first time in 16 years that any administration in the council would fail to pay the staff ‘welfare’ and salary before Yuletide.
The employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it was a bleak Christmas for the council workers as the chairman, in connivance with his Chief of Staff, refused to release the staff contribution, which had been deducted from their monthly salary from the beginning of the year.
He lamented that though the state government has continued to pay complete salary to state workers, however, workers in Ovia North-East Local Government Area were paid half salary since March, 2020.
He however, called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to swiftly intervene and begin an investigation into the matter to ensure that the workers are paid their monies so as to put a smile on their faces.
The staff noted: “We are saddened by the turnout of events in Ovia North East Local Government Area, which unfortunately is one of the highest income generating LGA in Edo State.
“While we are still protesting and lamenting over the modulated salary payment which commenced in the council since March 2020, the local government chairman in connivance with his chief of staff have embezzled the monthly contribution, also called staff welfare, of over 500 employees worth about N60 million. This is even as the council refused to pay the workers December salaries.
“The staff welfare, which is usually deducted from our monthly salary is supposed to be collected by the staff by the first week of December as our yearly contribution to take care of the Yuletide celebration or do one major project for ourselves as part of what we achieved for the year.”
“To our greatest surprise, we went to the council to collect our monies in preparation for the season only for the scheme management to inform us that the council management has not been remitting money to them,” he added.
He continued: “Most of the staff members are contributing half of their salaries to the scheme while others contribute more than half so that they will rejoice home at the end of the year but this year was different as everyone cried home because the council boss refused to give them their monthly contribution.
“This is wickedness; it is demonic. This scheme has been existing for over 16 years and has been upright. Why is this year different? This is the only local government out of 18 local councils in Edo State which failed to pay their staff welfare.
“What of our salaries since March? He has been deceiving us that the governor has been remitting monies for half payment of the council workers. We beg Governor Obaseki to immediately intervene and set up an investigation into this case and ensure that anyone found culpable is made to face the law.”
