FG Owes Delegates At National Conference 5 Weeks Allowance

Delegates attending the National Conference on Monday expressed sadness over the inability of the Federal Government to pay them their allowance for the last five weeks.

This was coming just as the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, asked the leadership of the conference and the delegates to address the plan by their aides and drivers to stage a protest on Tuesday (today) over unpaid allowance.

Abubakar, in a letter to the leadership of the conference, said he (IGP) had been informed about the decision of the delegates' aides and drivers to stage a protest against non- payment of allowances to them.

The Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, who read the IGP's letter, said the letter from the drivers and aides was sent back to the conference secretariat by the police boss for action.

He, however, added that even the principal officers had not been paid.

While urging delegates to call their aides and drivers to order, he added that the conference would not tolerate any protest.

Akinyemi said the welfare of aides and delegates were not captured by government while drawing up the budget for the conference.

He told the delegates, "Don't give us the impression you can't control them (aides and drivers). If you cannot, security will control them. That I can assure you."

The drivers and aides, who had complained against non- provision of salaries and allowances for them by the conference, had on many occasions threatened to protest.

On such occasions, the conference had said that the personal aides and drivers of the delegates were not to be paid by the conference.

It said each delegate must take care of his or her aide and driver.

In spite of this, the aides and drivers had embarked on continuous agitation for payment by the conference, with many of them saying that their principals were not paying them.

However, a delegate, who is also the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, alleged that aides and drivers of principal officers of the conference and other ancillary staff were the one behind the agitation.

He said, "The last time you gave us notice of the intended protest, I did my own investigation.

You may also have to talk to your drivers and secretariat staff. They are behind this. They are not aware you have not even paid delegates."