Imo Teachers Angry Over Unpaid Salaries, Govt Denies Owing Them

Teachers in Imo State have been expressing displeasure at the
non-payment of their salaries for the past six months, calling on the
state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha not to betray the confidence
they repose in him.

These revelations were made as Midweek Nigerian Horn investigated the
stories in the mass media that the governor during his May Day speech
promised to offset the 13 months salary arrears owed primary school
teachers, some of the teachers swore that they were being owed six
months salaries, while some decried the huge deductions that the
government has been enforcing for so many months now.

The teachers expressed the hope that the second tenure of Gov.
Okorocha will be more favourable to them than his first term, stating
that there is a limit to which they can bear the hardship they have
been coping with over the years.

Meanwhile, the Imo State Government has officially responded to the
news making the rounds insinuating that primary school teachers in the
state were being owed thirteen months salary arrears.

Some newspapers (not Nigerian Horn) have published stories declaring
that Governor Rochas okorocha promised to offset the 13 months salary
arrears the Imo government owed primary school teachers in the state
as well as settle some over due pensions.

In a swift reaction, however, the government through a press release
signed by Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor's Senior Special Assistant
on Media has refuted and debunked the stories as false.

"The Imo State government has read a report with the above caption in
the media including the social media, stating that the State Governor,
Owelle Rochas Okorocha has promised to pay the 13 months salary
arrears owed to the primary school teachers in the state.

Those behind the false report, in their effort to make it look real
had also claimed that the Governor made the pledge while addressing
the workers in the State during the Workers Day celebration.

"It is interesting to note that both the report published in the
newspapers and the one in the social media, none has by-line. In other
words, the report was fictitious.

The truth of the matter is that the Imo State Government is not owing
the primary school teachers 13 months arrears of salary; and we stand
to be contradicted. The primary school teachers in the state have
always received their salary as at when due.

"The false report was authored by the Imo PDP and they did it as part
of their anger after the party's abysmal outing in the just concluded
governorship election. They have not yet realized that part of their
problem was hate campaign and falsehood which they called propaganda.

They have been boasting of bouncing back, and they cannot bounce back
by trading on lies and being economical with the truth. They must toe
the part of honour to bounce back. Imo people and Nigerians should
disregard the report. It is not true.
--Horn Newspapers