Staffers of the Litter Control Unit of the Bwari Area Council, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT have demanded payment of their nine months outstanding salaries to ease their hardship.

 The Supervisor of the unit, Mrs Bolanle Fasidat, who spoke on behalf of the staffers in Bwari on Tuesday, said it was sad that the immediate past administration of the council could not pay them their salary arrears.

 She, therefore, called on the current council administration led by Mr Musa Dikko, to immediately pay them their outstanding salaries to alleviate their suffering.

 ``We are here because our salary has been pending for good nine months, up till today we have not been paid.

 ``So, we are here now to come and speak with the Chairman, he should hear us out; my people are suffering.

 ``It is only this work, this small, small amount that we are getting that they use to sustain their family and now that small amount is not available again, so they are really suffering.

 ``Please they should hear us out; before we do have SURE-P, we were many and we could share the work among ourselves.

 ``But now with the number of people available we only have Litter Control, we do not have SURE-P again, the number is not enough.

 ``We have some challenges; if my people work in the morning, we do not have enough truck pushers that will come along with us and pack the dirt.

 ``For the past nine months since they have not been paying us the truck pushers refused to work, the salary is N5,000 per month.”

 In his reaction, the Chairman of the area council, Mr Musa Dikko, promised to pay the staffers their wages.

 He stated that there has been a series of negotiations between the council and its staffers aimed at addressing the salary problem.

 ``We inherited not only their case; we inherited backlog of two month salaries, God helping us we have cleared it is what I told them.

 ``By the grace of God their nine month allowance that has not been paid before my arrival, we will do our best within the shortest possible time, to see allowances are paid.

 ``In fact, that prompted me to ask the audit department to verify the authenticity of this Litter staff and as soon as audit report gets back to me, we are going to swing into action.

 ``To make sure that their case is actually handled; I will not sit here and say because I was not the chairman, I will not do anything.

 ``Government is a continuous process; but I assure you that while I am not happy I am finding solution.

 ``For now, the council will not go into increasing their allowances, until we are able to establish the actual means and way of accommodating them as staff of Bwari Area Council.’’

 The council boss also promised to sensitise residents of the area to the need to stop the indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

 According to him, the council plans to punish anyone found guilty of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the area.