Chaos erupted at the Niger State Government House in Minna as approximately 4,000 political appointees gathered for a screening exercise.
The appointees, whose salaries were halted over alleged unauthorised appointment letters, arrived early Wednesday morning but were left unattended until 2:30 pm, a development that sparked widespread agitation.
The situation escalated to the point where Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba had to intervene while urging them to be calm and patient to ensure the success of the screening exercise.
However, the screening chairman, Kabiru Shehu Bacci, faced severe backlash when he arrived at the venue and addressed the angry political appointees. They booed and nearly lynched him before he was whisked away to safety by security personnel.
Some of the appointees who spoke with DAILY POST at the venue of the exercise called on the state government to immediately commence the payment of their salaries and reschedule the screening for a later date.
They expressed shock that after suffering for them to emerge during elections, they are being treated like beggars. Some of them regretted voting for people who had no sympathy for the masses.
Earlier, the screening committee chairman, Kabiru Shehu Bacci, who is the desk officer of all appointments in the state, issued a statement on behalf of the Niger State Government, stating that the exercise is scheduled to hold at the government house for all the affected appointees on Wednesday.
Bacci stated that all political appointees who have not received their September salary should appear before a screening committee constituted to address the issue.
The statement disclosed that the exercise is aimed at resolving pending salary issues and addressing genuine complaints from appointees.