By Ubong Inyang
Elected Local Government Councillors in Cross River State, under the aegis of Association of Local Government Legislators on Thursday stormed the state Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, Calabar protesting the non-payment of sundry allowances due to them for about nine months.
The allowances are said to be statutory allowances like furniture allowances, wardrobe allowances among others.
The councillors also demanded the issuance of official vehicles to all Leaders of the legislative councils as had been the practice in the state.
On arrival at the PDP state headquarters, the state Chairman, John Okon who did not want the issue to escalate, went into a closed door meeting with the councillors for about an hour.
Some of the councillors who did not want their names in print told our correspondent that as elected representatives of their people, they could not function in their respective constituencies due to non payment of their allowances.
One of them explained that apart from the monthly salary which could not take them home, nothing had been given to them for a long time now.
John Okon who confirmed the councillors’ claims in his office said it was born out of the general financial crunch, following dwindling oil prices which had affected the state and the nation at large, but promised to make their grievances and plight known to the governor.
“The challenges are obvious, I will draw the Governor’s attention to the issue. And our Governor being a humane person with sympathetic heart will try to proffer solution to the councilors case.
As a family, (PDP family) we have made them see reason about the financial challenges in the state, he stated. He commended them for their understanding and maturity.
It was authoritatively gathered also that the local government Chairmen too had planned to stage similar protest last week in the state over paucity of funds in the respective local government councils.
But following security reports, the plan was nipped in the bud before the planned protest was executed.