By: Felix Ikpotor
Emohua Local Government Council Chairman, Dr Chidi Lloyd has given reasons for the delay in the payment of workers’ salaries between May and June 2021, attributing it to the staff audit which was on in the council.
He said the council has released the workers’ salary after a successful audit of the nominal roll of staff.
Port Harcourt Spectator recalls that news had went round that the new council boss refused to pay workers immediately he took over office.
Lloyd disclosed this when he made live appearance on ‘Democratic Platform’ a current affairs program on Treasure 98.5 FM PortHarcourt .
He said the payment of staff salary for the months of May and June were delayed due to the irregularities in the nominal roll of the council which called for the constitution of an audit committee to ascertain the true wage bill of the local government, while urging legitimate council staff who may not have received their salaries before the commencement of two the days public holiday to remain patient till when banks will resume operation.
The council chairman said his administration will not bow to blackmail and insults from ghost workers who have been criminally receiving salaries from the council, stressing that some of those receiving salaries in the council before his assumption of office are people who had already retired but corruptly remained in the council payroll.
“I have said it before that I was not elected to only pay workers salaries, we are in government to change the narrative and we must fish out all the ghost workers who have been stealing our common wealth.
“No amount of insult and blackmail on social media will make me pay salaries to ghost workers. It might cause us some pains but the right thing must be done to put our local government on the path of development.
“We must block all the holes used to steal our money so that we can save some money to execute projects for our people”. He said.
The council boss said his administration plans to embark on critical infrastructural projects in the local government area.
Lloyd also disclosed that his administration was going to give the council secretariat a facelift.
“From August we shall invite our leaders and stakeholders for the ground breaking of some critical infrastructural projects in the local government area; Rumuji market and motor park, Alimini market, Ahia-Otukpo in Ibaa, Egbeda Market and police station, Mgbuola market and 1 kilometer Ukeli road in Rundele and 1 kilometer Ubimini road are some of the first projects we intend to start.
“The council secretariat project will also be executed simultaneously with other projects listed above.
“I don’t want to begin to talk about what we met on ground as a council secretariat because I don’t want anybody to think that I am attacking the past administration.
“There were other administrations before this past administration but I will not go into all that because all that is now in the past.
“We were elected to change the narrative because we promised to make Emohua great again, so we do not want it to end just as a mere campaign slogan. So, with God on our side and together with the people the council shall be great again” He summed.
