Breaking his silence on the matter, Dauda Aboki, the chairman of Bali Local Government Council in Taraba State, refuted claims circulating regarding the payment of workers’ salaries.
During a press conference held on Thursday in Jalingo, the state capital, Aboki addressed allegations of certain staff members not receiving their salaries for a period exceeding four months.
Prior complaints from some council workers regarding delayed payments and suspicions directed at the chairman were dismissed during his statement.
Aboki clarified that the individuals in question were not formally documented on the council’s payroll, as they were originally meant to replace retired or deceased employees, but proper documentation procedures were still pending, causing delays in salary processing.
Blaming the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) at the council, Aboki urged for prompt documentation of the affected workers to rectify the situation.
He emphasized his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability, assuring that once the documentation process is completed for the approximately 37 employees, they will receive their rightful salaries.
Meanwhile, Abdulmumuni Isa, the NULGE chairman, corroborated the delay in salary payments since January 2024 and cautioned about the potential consequences on the council’s functioning if the issue persists.
Expressing their discontent, some affected workers shared stories of hardship, including hunger and financial struggles, due to the prolonged non-payment of their salaries by the council.