Corps Members Protest Non Payment Of State Allowances In Nasarawa

By Isaac Ukpoju

About 3,000 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed to public secondary schools in Nasarawa state on Monday in Lafia protested over alleged non payment of their state allowances.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the corps members were seen carrying placards at the Government House, some of which read; “pay us our allowance”, “we deserve our pay,” we want to see the governor,” amongst others.

They alleged that their colleagues in other ministries and government agencies had been paid their state monthly allowance of N5,000 as promised by Governor Umaru Al-Makura.

Some of the corps members, who preferred not to be mentioned told newsmen that they were owed 10 months arrears and all efforts to get the authorities to address the issue had not yielded results.

Ahmed Tijjani, the state commissioner of Education while addressing the corps members appealed for calm and assured them that government was working to pay them the allowance.

Tijjani,said the delay in payment of their allowances was due to late submission of the list by the state coordinator of the NYSC.

The commissioner said the state government set up a committee for the verification of all corps members serving government establishments in the state.

” We are committed to the welfare of corps members serving in our state because of the value they add and Once the verification is concluded, even those who have passed out will be paid directly to their accounts,” he said.

However, Zainab Isa, state coordinator of the NYSC dismissed the claim of late submission of the corps members lists stressing that the list had been submitted and denied that the lists had been bloated.

Isa disclosed that the state government had summoned a meeting of stakeholders with a view to addressing the issue and urged the corps members to remain calm. (NAN)