Umahi asks council chiefs to recover N1.8b alleged looted fund

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, yesterday ordered the newly sworn-in caretaker chairmen of 13 local councils to recover all the stolen vehicles in their areas and over N1.8 billion allegedly looted by the former caretaker committee chairmen.

Umahi gave the order while swearing-in newly appointed local council caretaker committee chairmen, their vice and secretaries at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre Abakaliki.

He further charged them to set up micro scheme that will transform the fortunes of women and youths in their localities.

While calling on the workers of the state who have been on warning strike to return to work, the governor said anyone who refuses to go back to work will not be paid stressing that attendance registers have been provided in their offices to register their names whenever they resume and this will be used to pay their salaries.

‘’Our workers should return to work, because our position on the Dr. Sam Egwu-led committee on salary structure is irreversible and attendance registers have been made available for workers to register their names when they come to work. If you work you will be paid, if you don’t work you will not be paid,” he said.

He urged the labour union to allow workers who come to work to do their job and avoid harassing them.

Umahi said his administration will increase salaries of workers, which will be beneficial to only junior workers and not the senior ones, adding that the salary structure demanded by organised labour in the state which gave seven percent to the junior workers and 125 percent to the senior officials is unacceptable.

He said he will continue to pay the salary structure recommended by the Sam Egwu-led committee, pledging to ensure fairness and justice during salary increment.