Workers Lock Accountant-General Out of Office Over Unpaid Salaries

Abia State civil servants has locked out the Accountant-General of the state, Njum Onyemenam from her office in protest of the non-payment of their salaries.

Newsmen reports that the workers, who said they had been owed salaries for several months, barricaded the entrance to the Accountant-General's office in the Ministry of Finance and prevented her from entering.

Some of the workers told reporters that they had not been paid salaries for up to five months.

The protest comes a week after Governor Okezie Ikpeazu promised to pay all outstanding salaries by the end of the year.

The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Akpara, said the government was working to clear the salary arrears, but that it would take some time to do so.

"Some workers were owed over 30 months' salary arrears by the immediate-past administration of Gov Okezie Ikpeazu," Akpara said.