Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Hundreds of female staff and wives of the male staff of Rivers State Sustainable Development Authority, RSSDA, in Port Harcourt today,protested over nonpayment of salaries running to 17 months, by the Rivers State Government.

The women who were joined by female nongovernmental Organizations in the State converged at the Aztec Arcum Event Centre at the Stadium road Port Harcourt where they interfaced with the Rivers State Police Command before peacefully protesting to the Rivers State Government House.

Mrs Mina Obanga, leader of the female staff and Wives of staff of RSSDA who spoke through telephone said: “we are celebrating human rights day One of the core issues we are facing is the 17 months nonpayment of our husbands and our women in RSSDA.The agency has been neglected to the extent that its workers have not been paid for 17 months. It is the height of violation of the rights of the woman.There is no ethics and reasons behind it. We need to hear the voice of our dear Governor. These women have been going through hardship, pains and harassment for the past 17 months our women and our husbands have not been paid.”

When reminded that the Rivers State government had complained about the paucity of funds in the state,the leader of the protesting women dismissed the claim and disclosed that the women are in possession of the revenue allocation that accrued to the state in the past 17 months.

“Allocations have been coming in to the state.We have the copy of the allocations that have been coming to the state.The salaries of all the people working in RSSDA is next to nothing compared to the allocations that have been coming to the state government. It should be noted that because of the support we have for the state that is we have been calm.But we can not continue to keep quiet as if all is well”,Mrs Mina Obanga.

At the time of filing the report,the women had converged in front of Aztec Arcum event Centre along staduim getting ready to embark on a peaceful march to Government House present their protest letter to Governor Nyesom Wike or his wife, Justice Mrs Suzette Nyesom Wike.

Thenewsnigeria