Radio Benue staff protest alleged unexplained salary deductions

Some employees of Radio Benue, a broadcast station owned by the Benue State Government, on Monday embarked on a peaceful demonstration, urging Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to step in over what they described as severe and unjustified salary cuts.

The protesting workers assembled at the station’s headquarters along Old Otukpo Road, Makurdi, to register their dissatisfaction with the deductions.

Speaking to our correspondent under anonymity due to fear of possible reprisals, a staff member disclosed that the protest stemmed from a dispute between the station’s management and its union.

He explained that the chairman of the Radio Chapel editorial committee, Paul Mandeun, had earlier brought the issue of salary deductions to the attention of Governor Alia during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Interdenominational Service held at Deeper Life Church.

According to the source, several workers noticed deductions running into N72,000 from their monthly pay beginning in November last year.

He added that despite forwarding multiple memos to the Office of the Head of Service, no response was received and the deductions remained unresolved.

He said, “During the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Interdenominational Service at Deeper Life Church, the chapel chairman, Paul Mandeun, informed the governor of the issue and passionately appealed to him to intervene.

“The governor denied having prior knowledge of the deductions and immediately directed the Accountant-General and the Head of Service, Agbogbo Ode, to investigate the matter and resolve it within one week.

“Mandeun also used the opportunity to request a new transmitter and the installation of solar panels to enable the station effectively broadcast government activities.”

It was learnt that the management of the station reportedly expressed displeasure over the chapel chairman’s decision to raise the matter directly with the governor and subsequently served him a query.

“This action triggered the protest, as workers felt the chapel chairman acted in the collective interest of staff,” the source added.

He further revealed that calm was restored following the intervention of the Commissioner for Information.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Peter Egbodo, acknowledged that some staff of the state-owned radio station staged a peaceful protest.

He said, “I was passing by when I saw some people protesting, so I drove into the premises to find out what was happening. I was told it was a minor misunderstanding between the union and management.

“I informed them that, as the supervising commissioner, such issues should have been brought to my attention. However, after addressing them, the situation was brought under control.”