REACTING to allegation by the leadership of Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that non-prudent management of councils’ resources has resulted in some council chairmen in Edo state not being able to pay their workers’ salaries, Edo State Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Mrs. Itohan Osahon-Ogbeide, has described the statement credited to the NLC chairman, Emma Ademokun as an “uninformed and baseless allegation” insisting that the drop in allocation from the federation account was responsible for the non-payment of some categories of workers.
 
Debunking the allegation that they prefer to pay contractors for “kick backs” and their personal emoluments, Osahon-Ogbeide said that Councils have been up and doing in payment of teachers’ salaries.
 
The ALGON Chairman said: “I will say that I am rather disappointed about the statement credited to the NLC Chairman in Edo state because all the news media have been carrying the activities of the government as regards the low income coming from the federation account. It is not only Edo that is affected but all the local governments in the Country because about 21 states have not been able to pay salaries.
 
“We in Edo state local governments have been able to pay teachers, before any amount is taken Councils teachers’ salaries are deducted first, whatever is left is what the council will use to pay salaries and if it is not enough that is when the council will look at other means to pay salaries like the IGR.