Taraba street sweepers fumes over five months unpaid salaries

From Godwin Agia, Jalingo

The Taraba State Street sweepers on Wednesday expressed dismayed to the state government over unpaid salaries of five months.

The workers who are responsible for sweeping the streets and highways in the metropolis and local governments headquarters said they are owe five months’ salaries.

The streets sweepers, including old women and widows, told our correspondent that they are owe five months’ salaries and beg the State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas to as matter of urgency payment them their stipends.

One of the sweeper who don’t want his name printed, said despite regularly sweeping the streets and highways and market, the workers are still being owed their stipends for five months.

Another elderly woman, said that they were always at their duty posts as early as 4:30 a.m, despite the danger associated with the work, couple with the high level of insecurity in the State.

She maintained that, “since we were employed, we received salary for only two months, we were given high hope that we will get our salaries before Christmas, till date.” She said.

When contacted, the State Coordinator of Operation Keep Taraba Clean, Hon Iliya Kefas, disclosed that the State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas has already approved the salaries of four months for those in the State capital and three months across the local governments respectively.

“The governor pronounced in the month of August that, there is going to be a palliative of ‘Operation Keep Taraba Clean’ for six months and this very January we are in the six months, you know every Tarabans Knew that have an issue, we the Operation Keep Taraba Clean and the ministry of waste management and innovation, but finally we have resolved the issue with the government.

“I want to categorically tell you that, the Governor has approved our memo to pay four months to the streets sweepers in the state capital and three months each to the local governments across the State.” He said.