We will reduce workers salaries to pay teachers —Benue SSG

Addressing a joint press con-ference, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. David Salifu and Head of Service, Terna Ahua, regretted that pupils and their parents had suffered untold hardship since the over five months old strike embarked upon by the teachers commenced.
The state government lamented the dwindling allocations to the state from the federation coffers, noting that it has suffered a total of 40 per cent financial shortfall since the past one year.
The committee, expected to be comprised of permanent secretaries, directors and assistant directors in the civil service, would brainstorm on possible ways to reduce workers salaries including that of political office holders.
“Government can no longer pay what it accepted to pay initially due to the shortfall in excess crude resources and argumentation funds from the Federal Government to the state. However, negotiations and briefings will continue. There was broad agreement by workers that government should set up a technical committee to look into the situation,” Salifu said.
Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state, Godwin Anya, told our correspondent in Makurdi on Monday that the government abandoned a recent committee constituted to find a solution to the matter.
He insisted that calling off the on-going strike depends on the response of government.