suswam
Staff of Kastina-Ala based radio station, Ashi Waves, owned by the former Benue governor, Gabriel Suswam have threatened to shutdown the station following the inability of the company to pay them their salaries.
DAILY POST exclusively gathered that staff of the radio station located on Km 2, Zaki-Biam Road, Katsina-Ala, and transmiting on 99.9Mhz on the frequency modulated band (FM) have not been paid salaries for more than eight months.
According to a reliable insider who craved anonymity, the last time workers in the company were paid was November.
“Our problem began January last year when management of the company decided to slash salaries of workers by 30 per cent. Those who could not bear the new development left while some of us remained. But even at that, the salary was not forthcoming.
“The management of the company is not ready to listen to us. Whenever we complain, they will remind us that even teachers in the state have not been paid, that we should bear with them”.
Asked if the governor was aware of the situation, the insider said that the MD once told them sometine in January that the ex-governor was coming to address them.
“We have been waiting for the governor till today. Now, the excuse they are giving is that the chairman is not at home. That he would address the issue once he returns,” the insider claimed.
“At the moment, key staff of the company have decided to boycott duty anytime soon. The brother, Joseph Suswam who is BoT chairman of the company is not helping matters at all. He said anyone who cannot wait should resign. “Some of us have children who are in school, we can’t continue to wait for Suswam who we don’t even know his whereabouts,” the source added.
DAILY POST observed that Suswam have been at the receiving end of harsh criticisms from angry citizens for milking the state treasury dry before leaving office on May 29.
Just recently, the new governor, Samuel Ortom revealed that he inherited a debt of N90bn from him.
Also, civil servants in the state have not been paid for over five months.
Other companies owned by the ex-governor who had since fled the state include, Ashi Rice, Ashi Printing Press and among others.
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