An Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice Ibrahim Auta stopped the Nigeria Telecommunications Plc, Accountant General of the Federation and Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) from carrying out verification and payment of salary arrears and final entitlement of NITEL/MTEL staff scheduled to begin last Monday.
Iheme Nathaniel and others had gone to court seeking that the payment be stopped on the grounds that they were excluded from the planned verification and payment exercise by the management of NITEL
Some of the staff who spoke off record said the court order could threaten the 2011 polls, saying ‘a hungry man is an angry man.’
When contacted for reaction, President of the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporation (SSACTAC) NITEL branch, E.Y. Kazzah advised that the 78 workers should not stop the payment of 17,000 NITEL staff.
He said the move may make the Federal Government to develop ‘cold feet.’
Kazzah said he is also disappointed by the order, but expressed confidence that the court will study the situation again before the hearing on December 17th.-
SIMEON in Abuja
