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Some angered staff of the Ministry of Environment who claimed that more than eight million naira had been deducted from their salaries in the past three years, on Wednesday, protested the situation.
According to the staff who showed off different placards, the money was deducted and dedicated to an account sometime in 2021 under a Christmas welfare program, adding that the deductions have been going on without the staff being refunded.
The angry staff who begged Governor Alex Otti to intervene in their plight, took their protest to the office of the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna but could not meet him as he was not in office.
The protesters said the deductions started in 2021, some staff still notice the discrepancy any time they receive their salaries.
The workers accused some powerful staff of the ministry.
A staff who spoke about the money said that even some retired staff of the ministry are also victims of the Christmas money, adding that such retirees have not been able to recover their deducted money.
They called for the implementation of the reports of the Panels previously set up on the matter to ensure that the deducted money is refunded to their rightful owners.
Abia State ministry of environment is yet to issue any statement in reaction to the protest but a senior staff of the ministry said that the alleged deducted welfare money may have happened under the past administration.
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