By DAUD OLATUNJI
ABEOKUTA—There was a mild drama yesterday when workers of Ewekoro Local Government in Ogun State held the Transition Committee Chairman, Mr.Sunday Akinyemi, hostage for hours, accusing him of planning to use their April salary running into N34.2 million to host Governor Ibikunle Amosun on his local government area tour.
Under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Ewekoro Branch, the workers trooped out to the streets of Itori, where the secretariat is situated and locked up the council chairman, who had allegedly gone into hiding within the secretariat.
The angry workers alleged that the management of the council had concluded plans to pay them half salary for last month and use the remaining to host the governor billed to visit the council tomorrow on his tour of the 20 local government areas.
The protesters, who were armed with placards with various inscriptions such as "Mr. Governor, N34.2 million is not enough to pay salary. Why now"; "Mr. Governor, Ewekoro LG staff are suffering"; "We say no to half salary for the month of April 2012" among others, called on the governor to intervene in the interest of peace.
Speaking, NULGE Chairman, Akinsola Akintola, said the protest would continue irrespective of the governor's scheduled visit unless the council management addressed the issue and pay their salary in full.
Attempts to speak with embattled council's Transitional Chairman, Akinyemi, were unsuccessful.
State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Muyiwa Oladipo, when contacted confirmed that the state government was aware of the payment of half salary, saying it was approved for all the local governments employees in the state.
Vanguard Nigeria