Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Joshua Ubandoma Laven, has accused Governor Simon Làlong of withholding five months salary arrears of the local government workers.
Laven, at a press conference held at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Jos on Wednesday, told newsmen that though he has accepted to sacrifice his salaries and allowances for the sake of his workers arrears yet the state government has sabotaged the effort.
He described the scenario as a calculated attempt by Governor Lalong to continue to inflict excruciating pains on Tarok natives of the state.
The embattled local government boss said Tarok natives are law-abiding citizens, wiser and would not in anyway resolve to go violent because of this situation.
“ I want to bring to your notice what is going on in Langtang North Local Government Area. Initially, we went to court and won all the cases and I have agreed that from the beginning of May 2022, workers of the local government should be paid their wages.
“For the past five months now they have not received their salaries and that alone portends negative impact on our people. Now, I told the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Local Government Affairs that I have accepted that the local government staff should be paid, to the point that I went and signed an agreement with those ministries and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that workers should be paid their salary arreas which amounted to N17.4 million,” Laven said.
Jos High Court and Court of Appeal recognised him as the authentic chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area, saying “that is why I have signed the release of workers’ five months salary arrears.
“The commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs signed along with me that local government workers should be paid, but it is unfortunate that Governor Lalong stopped the payment.
“I sacrificed everything, including my salary and allowances, so that the workers would be paid but the state governor after committing his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to sign for the payment, later ordered him to renege on that initial plan,” Laven added.
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