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Abia civil servants protest salary arrears

Civil servants in Abia State yesterday protested refusal of the government to pay them salary since April.

They reportedly denied the Accountant-General, Njum Onyemenam, access to her office.

It was learnt that the protesting workers claimed they took the action because of the inability of the Accountant-General to pay them their salary arrears.

They alleged that they had not received salary since April for reasons they claimed to have known nothing about, despite the directives given by the governor for salary, including that of April, to be paid.

According to the workers, the Office of the Accountant-General has not been able to give them tangible reasons it has not been paying them.

They claimed that while some have not received their April salary, others have not received May, June and July salaries.

They said efforts to rectify the situation, including approaching the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, have remained unsuccessful.

The workers said inability of the state government to pay them was affecting them, following the removal of fuel subsidy, as they could not afford to pay their rents, medical bills and also meet their family needs.

They said they were not angry with the governor, whom they noted was ready to pay their salaries, but with agents of the government in-charge of salary disbursement.