Leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in Ebonyi State yesterday disagreed with the state governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, over the financial situation of the state.
The state governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, during his maiden town hall, had said he inherited a salary structure in the state that was capable of triggering agitation for wage increase from states of the South-east zone.
The governor said the argument shaould be that if Ebonyi State which received the lowest revenue from the federation account was paying the salary demanded by its workers, then other states that received more should pay more.
“It also means that Ebonyi State cannot do any other thing including attention to health, education and security other than paying salaries”, he said.
Umahi said, the situation if not tackled, would cause the state to borrow fund to pay salaries.
“It will become mandatory for local government areas to source for about N500 million to pay salary every month”, he said.
But chairmen of the NLC and TUC, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor and Elias Oduma, maintained that there is no going back on the 50 per cent increase.
They both stressed that plans by the state government to revert to the old salary structure would be resisted.
In the interim, a committee headed by the former governor, Sen. Sam Egwu with Rev. Fr. Abraham Nwali as secretary, has been set up to look into the situation.