Security outfit protests against unpaid allowances, disrupts meeting in Rivers

Members of vigilante groups in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Council of Rivers State, yesterday, protested against their unpaid 31 months stipends.
[ad]
They disrupted a meeting convened by the Egi Peoples Assembly Electoral Committee led by Chukwu Shedrack and threatened to abandon their task, which may lead to heightened insecurity and violence in the council if their demands were not met.

The committee had invited stakeholders for discussion and manifestos ahead of its July 13, 2021, Egi Peoples Assembly (EPA) election.

The Guardian, however, learnt that while the opening prayer was on, the local vigilante members stormed the venue with placards with inscriptions such as No Payment, No EPA Election and EPA Pay Us Our Stipend, among others.
[ad]
The leader of the OSPAC in the community, Sunday Egba, said the forthcoming EPA elections would not hold, as scheduled if all outstanding stipends owed the security outfit are not paid.

“When we started this work, they promised to pay us N30, 000 stipends on a monthly basis, to at least enable us to wash our clothes and meet other basic needs, but that has not been honoured,” he said.

MEANWHILE, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has said it was committed to delivering more quality jobs in Rivers State, adding that it would work to upgrade its performance in the new projects entrusted to it and deliver them as the state government had planned.

In a statement issued by the Head, Media Relations Office, Julius Berger Plc, Prince Moses Duku, said: “The completed and commissioned road projects, were enabled with street lights for beauty and security, especially at night.

“Some of the recent projects include William Jumbo, Ernest Ikoli, Eleme, Akasa and Obagi streets in the old Port Harcourt Government Reserved Area (GRA).”
[ad]