FG staff lament nonpayment of salary in Benue

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Benue indigenes working with the federal government ministries and agencies have decried the nonpayment of salaries during the Christmas festive period.
Our reporter who visited some of the banks observed that while the state civil servants were seen at the banks making withdrawals, federal civil servants were grumbling.
Governor Samuel Ortom had directed the immediate payment of workers’ salaries which at the time of filing this report, was still ongoing.
However, their federal counterparts complained bitterly about the failure of the federal government to pay their salaries.
“This is outrageous, a day to Christmas and we have not been paid salaries. This has not happened before. As I speak to you, my family is in a complete mess. I cannot afford to buy clothes or foodstuff for them. This is unimaginable. We heard that federal allocation for the month of November amounting to over 800 billion naira has been shared yet the FG cannot pay us. This is wicked,” an anonymous federal worker lamented.
Meanwhile, there is high vehicular traffic in Makurdi, Benue State as motor parks were very busy with passengers who are traveling within and outside the state.
This is even as transport outfits in the state increased fares astronomically in spite of steady oil price of 143 naira. For instance, transport fare from Makurdi to Otukpo which used to 700 naira is now 1200 naira while fare from Makurdi to Vandeikya, Ushongo and Adikpo is now 1,500 as against the previous 800.