A member of staff, who pleaded for anonymity for fear of retribution, confided in our correspondent that the situation was so dire that “as I am speaking to you, we have not been paid for December, none of us was given one grain of rice. It is that bad.”
No official reason was given for the inability of the party to pay its workers. It was however learnt that paucity of funds occasioned by the current economic realities and the alleged “abandonment” of the party by its traditional financiers were responsible.
Another member of staff, who also pleaded anonymity, expressed disappointment that the party which campaigned on a welfarist platform had taken little interest in the welfare of its workers only “seven months after taking office.”
He said it was unfair and inconsiderate for the party in power not to meet its obligations to members of its staff.
“What do you think people will say? Who will believe I have not been paid my salary? We are no longer the opposition party. What do we have to show for our sacrifices for this party? It is not fair.”
Other members of staff, who were seen in clusters discussing their predicament in hushed tunes, watched as members of the party’s National Working Committee hopped into their cars and left the secretariat one after the other.
Attempts to get an official party position on the issue failed.
Calls to the mobile telephone of the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, were not picked. A response to a text message sent to him on the issue was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.
Similar calls to the mobile telephone number of the party’s National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, indicated it was switched off. A response to a text message sent to him was also being awaited as of the time of filing this report (7.36pm).
By: John Alechenu
(Punch)
By: John Alechenu
(Punch)
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