Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has directed local government chairmen in the state to clear the salary arrears owed their staff without further delay.

The state Commissioner for Information, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele, disclosed this on Monday during a meeting with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Enugu.

Udeuhele said the governor had decried the attitude of some of the chairmen, whom he said, owed upwards of three to four month salary arrears to their workers.

He said that some of the chairmen flouted the directive prompting the governor to request for the statement of their income and expenditure for the period.

“With that singular directive, they decided to comply. So, as we speak the workers are getting their salaries due to the intervention of the governor.

“Some complied with the directive while others flouted it but the governor in a bid to ensure that the workers got their entitlements, directed them to provide all their income and expenditure to know their financial capabilities.

“All that we are saying is that if you pay the workers their salaries and do developmental projects, other things will follow.”

Udeuhele said that the state government was up-to-date in the payment of its workers, adding that government would always take the issues of remunerations seriously.

He said that since the governor assumed office he had not left anyone in doubt of his ability to advance the economy of the state.

“This is a brand new government with new ideas and the governor has done so many things which have left no one in doubt that he knows what he is doing.”

The commissioner mentioned the construction of Ogbete Main Market Road and another ongoing road projects in Emene, as some of the major successes the governor recorded so far.

Udeuhele said that though the state was grappling with paucity of funds, the governor was prudent in the management of available resources.

He appealed to the media to see the state government as partners in the onerous task of improving on the lives of residents of the state.

“We want you to work closely with us and let nobody say what government did not do,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the Correspondents, the Vice-Chairman of the chapel, Mr. Regis Anukwoji, commended the commissioner for the interaction, and assured that they would partner with the state government in publicising its programmes.

Anukwoji urged the commissioner to run an open-door policy in reacting to issues concerning the state to avoid the peddling of rumours and speculations as was recorded during the immediate past administration. (NAN)

•Photo shows Governor Ugwuanyi.