The Imo State government, on Tuesday, denied owing its workforce 11 months’ salary arrears.
A statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo in Owerri said that the denial followed reports in some national dailies that the government was owing its workers 11 months’ salary arrears.
“The Imo State Government only owes its civil servants May salary and the payment for that month is at the verge of being made.
“We have decided to make this factual claim on the salaries of the civil servants and teachers in the state so that those behind the report can come out with their own facts to back their claim,” he said.
Onwuemeodo noted that the government had also lived up to expectations with regards to the payment of the salaries of workers in the parastatal agencies of the state.
He said that parastatal agencies had been paid except those that were discovered with “irritating padding of salaries for non-existing staff and where high-profile corruption was uncovered’’ by a verification panel.
Onwuemeodo said the government would only pay those in the affected parastatal agencies when the issues in question had been rectified.
He challenged those behind the report to come up with their facts to controvert the position of the government.
“So, it is left for those behind the report with some of them quoting their source to come out and fault our claims or rebuttal.
“We would like to be faulted on our claim that we owe civil servants only May salary and the same goes with the teachers.
“The government of Imo with Gov. Rochas Okorocha on the driver’s seat shall continue to be truthful and honest about its claims and counter-claims on issues for the sake of history and posterity,” he said.
Onwuemeodo described the report as unfortunate and a deliberate effort to hit at the rescue mission government in the state.
