Former local government councillors in Anambra State on Wednesday protested in Awka, the state capital, over alleged arrears of entitlements owed them by the state government.
They said since they left office in 2015, Governor Willie Obiano had refused to have any discussion with them on the matter.
The group made up of 316 members said the worst was that the governor in every forum would say that the state was not indebted to the ex-councillors.
They said they would reconsider their support for the governor in the November 18 poll because of the issue.
Addressing the press after their protest, the group’s Publicity Secretary under the aegis of the Anambra State ex-Councillors’ Forum, Mr. Ebele Anoliefo, said each of the councillors was entitled to N8.6m but was only paid N1m in three instalments.
“Our problem is that the governor will go about telling the people that the state government is not owing us. That’s false. Our members who served as councillors between 2013 and 2015 are owed N8.6m each from which only N1m each had been paid. This includes severance allowances and other entitlements.
“The governor has deliberately avoided meeting with us on this issue. He has only been sending delegations who come and deceive us with rhetoric.
“Our severance allowances of about N2m were not paid and this is the commonest thing to pay us if this government is sincere,” Anoliefo said.
He added, “We’ll reconsider out support for the governor in this election because it is unfair for us to support a system that encourages injustice.
“Our demands are covered by the 2007 Local Government Law of Anambra State as amended,” the former councillors stated.
Punch
