*Issues 21-day ultimatum
Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt
Officials of the Rivers state neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps Agency, popularly called “Governor Wike Police” have concluded plans to drag the Rivers State Government to court over unpaid 17 months’ salaries.
Director of Operations of the neighbourhood Watch, Mathew Iheanyi, who disclosed to Journalists in Port Harcourt said members of the have issued 21 days ultimatum to the State Government to get their entitlements paid.
He lamented that several correspondences have been sent to the Governor through appropriate channels of government without positive responses.
He expressed shock at how Governor Wike would be spending so much funds on national security outfits in the state but while he owes and underfunds the local security outfits his administration formed backed by an enabling law.
Iheanyi said it is sad that the government has failed to take issues of their welfare and provision of logistics working tools serious despite their contribution to the security of the state.
He said most of the successes and breakthroughs recorded by security agencies are a result of intelligence gathering by members of safety agencies which were regularly forwarded to them.
He also accused local Government Chairmen of also using and dumping them after assisting them to fight illegal bunkering activities in various communities.
Recall could be made that Operatives of the safety agency took to the streets of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, June 22 to protest the non-payment of their 12 months’ salaries by the state government. The arrears have risen to 17 months.
The protesting personnel had defied the downpour that day and gathered at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Protesters came from the 23 local government areas of the state where they were drafted to, first converged at the government house gate and later moved the protest to the private residence of the governor, Nyesom Wike, at Ada-George Road Port Harcourt.
The Operatives officially resumed duties about March 2021 and deployed to the 23 local government areas in the state to help curb crimes and criminalities.