WARRI- Protesting Staff of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC on Monday shutdown the Head Office of the Commission in Warri over unpaid allowances and “ten years promotion stagnation”.
This is coming as policemen attached to the Commission allegedly brutalized and injured three Staff during their protest.
One of the injured Staff, Matthew Magege is in critical condition in an undisclosed hospital.
The Staff who came out in their thousands addressing Staff at the Commission’s Head Office, the Chairman of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees Services,AUPCTRE, DESOPADEC Branch, Comrade John Ossah said the strike will continue until the Management yields to their demands.
Ossah said the demands of the Staff include but not limited to the promotion of Staff who have been stagnated for ten years and the attendant arrears, Non payment of Xmas bonus as enshrined in the Staff conditions of service since 2016,Lack of adequate medical facilities on remittance of the tax deducted from their salaries to the tax office, Non-payment of posting allowance to those posted out of the Commission and Lack of office accommodation.
“We have been reliably informed that the State governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has released the cash for payment to the Board but the Executive Director Finance and Administration, Bashorun Askia Ogieh has vehemently refused to pay. ”
The Youth Chairman of Host Communities,HOSTCOM , Comrade Sam Agaga Urged the staff to continue with the struggle stressing that HOSTCOM is solidly behind them.
According to him, “The Commission was created to empower people in the oil producing areas but since the emergence of Okowa as the State Governor, the reverse has been the case.”
“The current Board of the Commission has not done anything to justify their appointment. The so called NDDC model is being made a mockery of. ‘We are prepared to go to Asaba to continue with the struggle”.
