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A new dimension was added to the saga of 27 months unpaid salaries for the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) workers.

A group of workers,
under the rather nebulous name Combative Association of NITEL/Mtel
Workers, in a letter addressed to embassies and high commissions in
Nigeria, has threatened to disrupt the 50th independence anniversary
celebrations if the federal government failed to settle the salary
arrears before then.

In the letter signed by one Teddy Umoh, the group’s national coordinator, the association said,

“We simply want to
assure you and indeed the Nigerian government that we have volunteers
across the length and breadth of this country with whom we shall
embarrass the government in such a way that no one can contemplate. We
have been pushed to the wall and we have decided to take our destiny in
our hands. We shall remain quiet while we await the approach of October
1, 2010.

“It is
inconceivable that this evil phenomenon by the name of Goodluck
Jonathan is wasting billions of naira to celebrate the country’s
independence anniversary, as well as buying presidential jets, while we
have been left to suffer this cruel fate for no just cause.”

“We are not aware”

However, the union
leaders said that their association was not aware of Mr. Umoh’s plans,
but are also working on solutions on how to handle the issue.

In a telephone
interview, Elias Kazzah, a NITEL union leader said, “I am not aware
about this plan and cannot say anything on that matter.” Also, Emmanuel
Abu, the chairman of Senior Staff Association of Communications,
Transport and Corporations (SSACTAC), NITEL, Abuja, said,

“No, we don’t have
plans towards such attack, and I don’t believe that a militant approach
would help in solving the situation at hand. We believe in solving
issues like this peacefully.

“As I speak to you, we are planning on holding a meeting tomorrow in Abuja to discuss our unpaid arrears.”

The 27 months
salary arrears have become an albatross on the federal government’s
neck, as no concrete decision has been reached on how to settle them.

In June 2009, the
federal government revoked NITEL sale to Transcorp for failure to
fulfil the terms of the sale after three years and then decided to
privatise NITEL for the fifth time.

The workers were
owed 13 months arrears as at June 2009, which cumulatively is now 27
months, with only one month salary paid to the workers last December.

Then, the federal
government promised to pay the workers five months salary in three
tranches before the end of January 2010. A sum of N3 billion was meant
to be borrowed from the accounts of NITEL Pension Fund in liquidation,
but that also failed because the liquidator decided in February to stop
all payment because of alleged harassment by some NITEL workers.

Sule Shehu, NITEL spokesperson, could not say exactly when the arrears will be paid, claiming to be “on leave.”