(Governor Alex Otti. Photo by Sahara Reporters)
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has threatened a three-day warning strike in Abia State over three years of unpaid salaries, salary arrears and promotion benefits owed to local government workers.
The union said 114 local government employees in the state have gone without pay for almost three years, even though efforts have been made to verify their employment status.
Of these 114 workers, 92 have finished the required verification but still have not been paid, while 22 are still waiting for verification.
More than 251 workers who were verified got only partial salary payments with accumulated arrears still owed.
Local government employees are still owed their November and December 2020 salaries, even though workers in other government agencies have been paid for similar obligations.
Another major complaint is that the government has failed to implement promotions earned by local government employees since 2021.
This delay has denied workers the money that should come with moving up in their jobs.
The union said these are not just office matters but directly affect the lives, dignity and welfare of hardworking local government employees who have kept doing their jobs under difficult conditions.
The union said it has shown considerable patience and repeatedly talked with relevant authorities through dialogue to maintain peace at work.
The union gave the Abia State government until September 30, 2026, to resolve the outstanding salary and promotion issues.
The union called on the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to urgently work with the Abia State Local Government Service Commission and the Office of the Accountant-General to resolve the disputes and give a firm timeline for putting things right.
The union warned that failure to make substantial progress by the deadline would trigger industrial action.
A three-day warning strike is planned from October 5 to 7, 2026, if the issues are not resolved.
The union said it hoped the dispute would not turn into a strike and said it was ready to talk further with the government.
