We Are Expecting Full October Salary – Kogi NULGE National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Kogi State chapter has thanked the Governor of Kogi State; Captain Idris Wada for taking over the payment of workers’ salary, with the expectation that percentage salary regime has ended for good. The president of the union, Comrade Tom Abutu who disclosed this to The Graphic in Lokoja, during a chat said that the state governor meant well for the welfare of the state, stressing that he does not fail in his promise. He pointed out that the major problem of the local government areas is some of the deductions that are not statutory, in addition to overstaffing, which has bloated the wage bill. Comrade Abutu appealed to members of NULGE in the state to be patient with the state government in its effort to sanitise the system, warning that the government should not contemplate rationalisation of staff. The NULGE president maintained that the problem of local government council is that of illegal expenses coupled with the activities of stakeholders, who have become a financial drain on the economy of the council areas. On whether the state government can pay full salary in view of the dwindling allocations to the council areas, Comrade Tom conceded that the money could pay 100 per cent if all ‘financial distractions’ are avoided. It could be recalled that shortly after the return of the governor of Kogi State from a foreign trip, the first assignment he embarked upon was the sanitisation of the local government salary administration. When the state governor Captain Idris Wada invited the local government chairmen to a meeting many of them did not know what was in the offing. When he started addressing them there was no denying the fact that he was bent of cleaning the Aegean stable. For sometime now local government councils in the state have been paying percentage salary to workers. Even when the situation improved in some months, the situation did not improve for the workers. The Graphic gathered that some of the local government chairmen capitalised on the situation to deprive the workers of their legitimate right. Some local governments were paying as low as 30 per cent even when they could pay more. Only two local government areas, Okene and Lokoja were initially paying full salary, but they could not continue in the last couple of months. What the state governor did was to save an already deplorable situation. After pouring out his heart over his dissatisfaction with the situation, he announced that the state government would take over payment of salaries of workers of the local government areas. Since then, the state government has been studying the account books of the 21 local government councils. The Graphic investigation last week suggests that the local government workers would be paid as soon as the modalities for the payments are worked out. The Graphic was informed on good authority that the relevant staff of the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs have been working overtime to ensure that the salary do not delay. Issues like number of workers and allocations accruable to the various local government councils would be deciding factors, when the payments start, even as NULGE is demanding full payment of salary. Some of the needless expenditure often embarked upon by the councils may have to be jettisoned in favour of payment of staff salary. For a governor whose transformation agenda is premised on welfare of workers, the situation at the local government councils could be a major dent on his development programme. Political pundits in the state confirmed to our reporter that the state governor has been monitoring activities of the council chairmen towards the 2015 elections. Some of the local government chairmen who were elected to be in the office for three years are already eyeing legislative positions in the state House of Assembly and National Assembly. An inside government source informed our reporter that the ambition of the local government chairmen irked the state Chief Executive, who was afraid that an administrative vacuum would be created in such local government councils, arguing that abandoning the present office for another one when it has not yet expired was a gross betrayal of trust. The state governor while addressing the local government chairmen during the meeting alluded to this fact, when he asked all those interested in further political offices to resign. Political watchers also alleged that the takeover of payment of salary of local government workers was to ensure that the October federal allocations to the councils are not misdirected for electoral campaigns.The temptation that the councils chairmen may tamper with the allocation to fund political primaries was also topmost in the consideration of the state government, when it announced the takeover of the local government salary account. Another insight into the action of the state government was the allegation that the local government chairmen submitted records of payment of salary with a lot of discrepancies. A source at the state House of Assembly told The Graphic the figures submitted to the House of Assembly was different from the one submitted to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. Checks with one of the local government council chairmen debunked the allegation, saying that the record demanded by the House of Assembly was different from what the ministry requested. The source argued that one request was for the submission of record of entire expenditure, while the second demand was for record of salary only. He said that under the situation, the two records could not have been the same. At the time of compiling this report, one of the local government chairmen vying for state and national assembly positions has resigned, as advised by the state governor. A source to the seat of government averred that the state governor may have sold a dummy to the council chairmen to test their loyalty. However, last week the local government chairmen wanted to have an unscheduled courtesy call on the state governor, in Abuja. As at the close of work on Friday, it was not certain if the attempt was successful, while the purpose of the visit was not disclosed. But The Graphic impeccable source in Lokoja revealed that the council chairmen sought audience in order to apologise for their ‘misdeeds’. The meeting was also to address the issue of returning the payment of salary to the local government councils.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 20:30:54 +0000
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