Former councillors in Niger State on Monday barricaded the state Secretariat demanding for their entitlements worth 4.8 million naira each.
The councilors who turned the state Secretariat gate to a special prayer ground, as both Christians and Muslim offered special prayers, said they will remain at the gate until the state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, address them on their plights.
The leader of the group, Garba Umar from Usaile ward In Kontagora local government area said the amount bordered on furniture allowance 2.4 million naira, severance allowance 2.4 million naira, among others.
Umar said they are tired of the government’s complaints of no money each time their issues come up.
“’Each time we talk they will say no money, we know there’s money let them give us our constitutional entitlements. We know what comes into the state, we know what they did,” he said.
Umar who said they will not relent in their struggle until the government answers them, adding that “You cannot cheat me and ordered me not to speak out; it is not possible,” Umar said.
“If they refuse to answer us today, tomorrow we will still come and lock the Secretariat gate and if there is no response, it means they are working at home so we will follow them to their houses and the hotels they are working at.”
The Government, Permanent Secretary Ministry for Local government and Chieftaincy affairs, Abubakar Aliyu, appealed to the protesters to toe the line of dialogue
He promised that the government would do everything possible to make ensure their demands are met.
