BREAKING NEWS, Business
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After three days of protest by workers of the ministry of finance over unpaid N1.2bn overtime allowance, which resulted into the total shutdown of the ministry, indications emerged on Wednesday that the money may be paid following the intervention of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.
The civil servants had since Monday shut down the headquarters of the ministry in Abuja over what they described as poor welfare condition since the assumption of office of the finance minister
The workers in their hundreds had expressed disappointment over the non-payment of the entitlements due to them, adding that except their demands were met they would not stop the protest.
With the workers’ agitation gaining momentum, coupled with the fact that their actions had stopped the monthly allocation committee meeting, Adeosun finally showed up at the ministry on Wednesday.
The finance minister, who had for the past two days avoided the protesting workers by staying away from the office, arrived at the ministry at about 8am with her convoy amid tight security.
An indication that the minister would come to the office was given during the early hours of the day as over 70 security personnel of the Nigerian Police Force were stationed at strategic locations both within and outside the premises of the ministry. Their presence, according to one of them who spoke in confidence, is to prevent a breakdown of law and order and to also forestall any form of attack on the minister.
The ministry had insisted that the amount being claimed by the workers was illegal and that such allowance was not captured in the financial regulation or the 2016 budget.
As was the case in the last two days, the workers on Wednesday also blocked all entrances leading to the ministry to prevent the conduct of business activities. As soon as the protesting workers saw the convoy of the minister approaching the ministry, they rushed to the gate to prevent her from gaining access to the ministry.
They started shouting “Adeosun must go, she must go,” “We want change, give us change,” among others.
For about ten minutes, the workers prevented the finance minister from gaining access to the ministry as they insisted that she must address them right at the gate before she could go in.
After the law enforcement agents prevailed on the angry workers for about ten minutes, Adeosun alighted from her vehicle and was asked by the workers to walk into the ministry on foot which she did.
– June 22, 2016 @ 18:25 GMT
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