Staff of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, today shut down the headquarters of the commission over non-payment of “13 point” bonus (Christmas bonus) for the year 2016 as well as other welfare allowances.
The Staff carried placards with inscriptions such as,” Governor Okowa pay attention to DESOPADEC Staff Welfare,” “Pay pensioners their money,” ” Okowa Where is our 13 point bonus?” We need our promotion for the past 8 years,” as they chanted solidarity songs and danced through the Esisi office of the commission to its headquarters adjacent to the Nigeria Navy Ship, NNS Delta.
In a chat with DAILY POST, One of the Staff, Comrade Darlington Erhijakpor stated that Staff of the commission are going through hardship as a result of the non-payment of the 13-point bonus by the Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration.
He also noted that the DESOPADEC Staff and pensioners have not been paid their salaries and gratuity, stressing, “We don’t know where our pension goes to after they deduct our monies at the end of every month.”
In his words,” the 13 point bonus that we used to get at the end of every year was not paid and it is now difficult for us to live ans even pay school fees of our children.
Erhijakpor accused the government of hiding under the cloak of recession as well as failing to show concern to their welfare which according to him is their fundamental right.
He, however, warned that the DESOPADEC Head Office remains shut until Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa is ready to pay attention to their plights including their welfare.
Another Staff of the Commission,Nejuvie Ibru who also spoke with DAILY POST corroborated the claims of Erhijakpor saying,” Since the new DESOPADEC Board came in, there has been poor welfare of Staff. Our salaries are not paid regularly. They abolished the 13 point bonus. We are now into debts as we can no longer plan with our salaries,” just as he called on Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa to consider the plights of the Staff.
DESOPADEC’s Head of Administration & Supply, Pastor Ubogu who addressed the protesters appealed to them to return to work just as he assured that the 13 point bonus will soon be signed.
” You know there is recession and it is affecting everybody. Please be patient and I assure you the 13 point bonus will be signed soon. Please go back to work.”
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