Abuja council workers unpaid for four months – Staff

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Staff Reporter

Staff of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have decried non-payment of four months’ salary arrears owed them by the council.

Ibrahim Kabi, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Kuje Chapter, who spoke on behalf of the workers, appealed to the council chairman to pay the arrears.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Kuje that non-payment of salaries had exposed the workers to hardship.

“We understand that the present administration incurred a lot of liabilities from the past administration, but there are measures that can be taken to address the situation.

“Some workers received their October salary last year, while some are yet to receive three months salary.

“We demand that four months’ salary be paid to the workers to alleviate their sufferings,” Mr. Kabi said, adding that workers’ welfare was paramount in the development of any organisation.

The NULGE chairman noted that though execution of development projects was necessary in every administration, it should not be to the detriment of workers welfare.

“The monthly allocations are reasonable enough to ensure that salaries and other allowances are paid to workers.

“If salaries are paid as at when due, I think by now the council chairman should have paid all arrears and allowances owed workers,” he said.

Reacting to the concern raised by the NULGE chairman, the chairman of Kuje Area Council, Abdulahi Galadima, appealed to the workers to exercise patience, saying plans were under way to pay salary arrears owed them.

Mr. Galadima, who stated that his administration inherited huge financial liabilities from the previous administration, assured that he would do his best to address all the challenges facing the council.

Source: NAN

Fayose Allegedly Diverts N8.877bn Paris Club Refund, Fails To Pay 8 Months Salary.

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Staff Reporter

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, may have run into fresh trouble with the Federal Government after it was found that he collected the sum of N8.877 billion from the N388.304 billion released to 35 states as refunds from over-deductions on London-Paris Club loans but only paid one out of the eight-month salary arrears he owed workers in the state.

Fayose was also said to have paid a curious 13th month salary as bonus while the arrears of seven-month salaries owed the workers were left unpaid.

A reliable source in the Presidency, who spoke in confidence with one of our correspondents yesterday, said President Muhammadu Buhari has lived up to his pledge to ease salary crises in all the states by releasing N388.304 billion to 35 states but many of the states failed to abide by the agreement they had with the President that they would give preference to settling arrears of workers’ salaries.

The Presidency source said: “The agreement between the Federal Government and the state governors was very clear.

“While 50 per cent of the amount released was to be used to offset outstanding salary and pension arrears, the remaining 50 per cent would be used for the payment of other obligations.

“Some governors have however reneged on this agreement.

“Security reports available to the Presidency showed that Governor Ayodele Fayose paid only one month out of eight-month salary arrears.

“The same governor went ahead to pay a curious 13-month salary to Ekiti workers. Yet, he got N8.877 billion refund.

“Instead of accounting for what he used the loan refund for, he has the temerity to attack the Federal Government on hardship in the country.

“The relevant agencies are monitoring development in Ekiti and some states.”

Reacting to the allegation on the telephone yesterday, Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance, Toyin Ojo, admitted that the state got N8.8 billion from the Paris Club refunds.

But he said that the state’s share of the money was only N5.3 billion, which he said could barely pay one month out of the arrears of salaries owed the civil servants in the state.

According to him, the wage bill for a month stands at N5.2 billion.

He also said that workers in the local government sector could only get one month from the arrears of salaries owed them.

The Federal Government had released the sum of N388.304 billion out of N522.74 billion

to 35 states as refunds of over-deductions on London-Paris Club loans.

Topping the list of states with the hugest reimbursements are states controlled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contrary to their claims that they were being financially oppressed by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The biggest earners include Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Katsina, Kaduna, Lagos, Imo, Jigawa, Borno, Niger, Bauchi and Benue states.

But the reimbursement profile has shown that some governors fed their states with wrong figures of the sums given to them.

Investigation conducted by our correspondent revealed that 35 of the 36 states benefitted from the refunds of N388.304 billion.

Although most of the governors have begged the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, not to make the list of reimbursements public, The Nation was able to source the breakdown of the reimbursements exclusively.

The document indicated that all the 35 states were credited with their shares of the N388.304 billion as at December 27, 2016.

Our correspondent obtained the names of the bank, the account and the account numbers where each state’s share was remitted.

Only Kano State and the FCT have so far not benefitted from the reimbursements.

According to the list, Kwara State got two types of refund totaling more than N9.188 billion.

Kwara’s shares include N5,415,167,236.97 refund to the state government and N3,773,082,953.54 for its 16 local government areas.

Findings also confirmed that Ondo was only paid 50 per cent of its refunds (N6,513,392,932.28) because of leadership change in the state, which will soon lead to the inauguration of Chief Rotimi Akeredolu as the new governor.

A breakdown of the list of top beneficiaries of the refunds is as follows: Akwa Ibom, N14,500,000,000.00; Bayelsa, N14,500,000,000.00; Delta, N14,500,000,000.00; Kastina, N14,500,000,000.00; Lagos, N14,500,000,000.00; Rivers, N14,500,000,000.00; Kaduna, N14,362,416,363.24; Borno, N13,654,138,849.49; Bauchi, N12,792,664,403.93; Benue, N12,749,689,453.61; Sokoto, N11,980,499,096.97; Osun, N11,744,237,793.56; Anambra, N11,386,281,466.35; Edo, N11,329,495,462.04; Cross River, N11,300,139,741.28; Kogi, N11,211,573,328.19 and Kebbi, N11,118,149,054.10.

The document said: “Ondo payment represents 50 per cent of the refund due to transition of leadership in the state. Further instructions are being awaited on balance payment.

“Adamawa, Kwara 22b on the list, Oyo and Taraba payments represent the portions due to the respective local governments.”

But the Presidency was uncomfortable with the attitude of some state governors to the management of the refunds.

Responding to a question, another source in government said: “It is unfortunate that some state governors under-declared the refunds made to them.

“Some of them were also discovered to be giving spurious analysis in order to cover up the actual figures.

“In fact, some states changed the agreement overnight.

“A state said the President asked states to use at least 25 per cent of their London and Paris Club refund to offset salary arrears.”

Investigation showed that about N134.44 billion out of the approved N522.74 billion will soon be paid as refunds to some states.

The top government source added: “Yes, as at December 27, 2016, all the 35 states had received the N388.3 billion refunds. The balance of N134.44 billion will soon be accessed.”

Following protests by states against over-deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002, President Muhammed Buhari had on December 2, 2016 approved the release of N522.74 billion to states as refunds pending reconciliation of records.

Each state is entitled to a cap of N14.5 billion being 25 per cent of the amounts claimed.

But the government has raised a team to scrutinise claims by states and reconcile with available records.

These developments were contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Festus Akanbi.

The statement said: “The Federal Government has reached a conditional agreement to pay 25% of the amounts claimed subject to a cap of N14.5 billion to any given state. Balances due thereafter will be revisited when fiscal conditions improve.

“Mr. President’s overriding concern is for the welfare of the Nigerian people, considering the fact that many states are owing salaries and pension, causing considerable hardship.

“Therefore, to ensure compliance with the directive that a minimum of 50% of any amount disbursed is dedicated to this, funds will be credited to an auditable account from which payments to individual creditors would be made. Where possible, such payments would be made to BVN linked accounts and verified.”

But any state paid refunds in excess of its outstanding claims might suffer deduction from its monthly allocations from the Federation Account.

It said: “Due to the fact that reconciliation is still ongoing and the final outcome might show an under or overstatement of claims, an undertaken has been signed by state governors, declaring that in the event the amount already paid exceeds the verified claim, the surplus would be deducted directly from the state’s monthly FAAC allocations.

“The total amount approved by the President is N522.74 billion and is to be paid in batches. The first batch of N153.01 billion is currently being processed for release to 14 state governments.

“The release of these funds is intended to support the fiscal stimulus programme of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to provide direct stimulus through government spending. It is particularly aimed at boosting demand at consumer level and reversing the slowdown in economic activity.”

Source: Abusidiq

Arik Air Again Fails To Pay Salaries Arrears To Workers – Affected Staff

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Staff Reporter

For the second week running, troubled Nigeria airline Arik Air has failed to pay salaries arrears to workers as agreed with the industry unions and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) before it re-opened operations.

Speaking to our correspondent today at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, the source said the management has set a meeting with the frustrated workers for later this week, probably to discuss the salaries arrears issue.

The staff further said that contrary to the information that was dished out to the public, the airline was owing the workers more than the two months wages it claimed, saying that for instance, he was being owed about seven months’ salaries, including for December.

“We all expected them to pay us at least in December so that we could use our money for the new year celebration, but they failed again,” he said. “As it is, no one knows when the salaries arrears would be paid to workers because they have refused to communicate to us. We are just working without pay. Everyone is tired and we are depending on the unions and NCAA to intervene once again.”

Under the agreement, Arik Air was supposed to pay the first batch of salaries arrears on December 23, and the November salary on December 31, deadlines it has now failed to meet.

NCAA had intervened in the picketing of the airline by the unions over the non-payment of salaries and illegal deductions from its members in its employment.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting called by the NCAA stated that the unions agreed to shelve the strike following the intervention of the regulatory authority.

It was also agreed that the unions would submit the acknowledged copies of the letters forwarding membership forms of their prospective members to the NCAA, while the regulatory body would forward them to the management of the airline to do what was required.

Arik Air and the unions: the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria; and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, signed the communiqué in the presence of NCAA.

Under its terms, the October salary was supposed to be paid on or before Friday, 23 December, and the November on or before 31 December, two days ago.

Source: Sahara Reporters

Buhari Asks States To Clear Workers’ Outstanding Salaries With Paris Club Debt Refund

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Staff Reporter

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on state governors to use at least 25 per cent of the refunds made to them from excess deductions for external debt service of Nigeria’s Paris Club debt to clear outstanding workers’ entitlements.

A statement by his media aide, Mr. Garba Shehu revealed that the president approved N552.74bn to be paid in batches to all the states, which were entitled to the refund.

They are, however, expected to get 25 per cent of their approved sums in the first instance before this week ends. About 33 states are affected.

Shehu said that the refunds arose from claims by the states that they had been overcharged in deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002.

He said, in a directive through the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the president said the issue of workers’ benefits, particularly salaries and pensions, must not be allowed to continue and should be handled with urgency.

The statement read: “When he assumed office last year, the president declared an emergency on unpaid salaries, following the discovery that 27 out of the 36 states had fallen behind in payments to their workers, in some cases for up to a year.

“Following this, a bailout loan was issued to the states twice, with a first batch of about N300 billion given to them in 2015 in the form of soft loans.

“The administration also got the Debt Management Office to restructure their commercial loans of over N660 billion and extended the life span of the loans.

“Because this did not succeed in pulling many of the states out of distress, the federal government this year gave out a further N90 billion to 22 states as yet another bailout under very stringent conditions.

“President Buhari is of the opinion that the payment of salaries and pensions must be given priority to save both serving and retired workers and their families from distress.”

A recent report by BudgIT showed that of the 36 states in the country, only Lagos, Rivers and Enugu, were capable of meeting their obligation to their workers.

Credit: thisdaylive

Taraba workers protest unpaid salaries

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Workers in Taraba State have scheduled Thursday to protest the inability of the state and local governments to pay salaries, gratuity and pension.

The workers, under the aegis of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JPSNC, are also aggrieved by the non-implementation of annual increments and promotions by the state and local governments.

In a bulletin titled ‘Notice of Protest’ issued at the end of its meeting on Tuesday, the council directed workers in the state to converge at the state secretariat complex by 7.00 a.m. Thursday for the protest.

According to the bulletin signed by its officials, Tukur Taji, Yildet Bigwan and Alama Pius, the council is also demanding the immediate removal of the state government’s consultants on salary, Starter Point Consultants, alleging gross incompetence of the firm in handling salary issues of the state.

The council said removal of the consultants had become imperative because of the intractable problems and sufferings its one year operation has brought upon workers in the state.

Meanwhile, senior special assistant to the state governor on media and publicity, Sylvanus Giwa, has appealed to the workers to shelve confrontation and engage the state government in dialogue to resolve the issues at stake. He said the government’s door was wide open for dialogue.

Mr. Giwa said the problems on ground were not peculiar to Taraba State, adding that the governor deserves a pat on the back for paying salaries as at when due unlike many other states in the country.

Buratai Warns Against Delay In Payment Of Troops’ Salaries

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, yesterday, warned against delay in payment of salaries and allowances of troops engaged in the fight against insurgency in the North East.

Buratai, who spoke while declaring open, a seminar on Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, for army personnel, in Abuja, insisted that prompt and accelerated payment of salaries and allowances to the fighting troops was one of the ways of boosting their moral.

He admitted that the objectives of the IPPIS were to ensure transparency, accountability and improve the effectiveness of payroll administration in all government ministries and agencies, adding that the development would present new challenges in the management of troops’ salaries and allowances.

He said: “I approve this seminar and know that the implementation of IPPIS in the military will present new challenges in the management of troops’ salaries and allowances. “I am hereby charging the finance corps to ensure that the nuances of transition are well understood so as to continue to boost the morale of the fighting troops.

“We understand that seamless, timely and regular payment of personnel salaries and allowances are an essential ingredient for the sustenance of morale of the troops.

“This is especially important towards the current ongoing efforts at consolidating on the counter-terrorism efforts in the north eastern part of the country and indeed all other operations around the country.”

Credit:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/boko-haram-buratai-warns-delay-payment-troops-salaries/

Lagos Midwives Protest Non-payment Of 11-month Salaries

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Many medical workers in Lagos are angry. The aggrieved workers, who claimed they were engaged by the state government under the auspices of the Midwives Service Scheme (MSS), Lagos State chapter, recently held a peaceful demonstration at the Governor’s Office, Alausa, Ikeja, to protest the non-payment of 11-month salary arrears by the authorities.
The midwives, who marched around the Governor’s Office and the House of Assembly complex, sang songs and pleaded with the authorities to quickly come to their aid.
They expressed displeasure over the manner in which they were being treated after they had wholeheartedly rendered services to patients, especially in remote areas of the state. According to the protesters, the state government’s refusal to pay them in the past 11 months had brought them untold hardship. They lamented that it was now difficult for them to feed their families, even as meeting other pressing needs had become impossible.
Even though they had not been paid a kobo since the beginning of the year, the midwives told the reporter that not for one day were they found wanting at their duty posts. The passion to save lives, they asserted, was the sole reason they had always remained on duty, and they wanted to always play their part in seeing to the development of Lagos.
The protesters expressed the fear that, if their salaries continued to accumulate, they and their families would be unable to participate in the coming Christmas and New Year celebrations. They said many of their children were out of school, having been sent back from school for not paying tuition.
Their placards had different inscriptions, including “Akinwunmi Ambode, please help pay MSS midwives salaries;” “Midwives are dying but patients are living;” “We reduce maternal and child mortality;” “Ambode, please hear us and intervene now;” “What have we done to deserve this punishment?” “We deserve to be paid promptly,” and many others.
Spokesperson for MSS, Mrs. Beatrice Adunola Ajayi, told Daily Sun that her colleagues could no longer endure the suffering, which was why the midwives decided to picket the Governor’s Office to express their grievances. She said several appeals had been made to the state government before the protest, but that none yielded the desired fruits. She said the situation had become worrisome and embarrassing. She recalled that the last time government paid them outstanding salaries was after a similar protest in 2015.
“We have been pleading with government to pay our salaries, but our demands have not been met. So, that is the reason we came out today to let Governor Ambode know what we have been passing through since January. We are not supposed to be begging the state government to pay us the money we actually worked for, but government has turned us to beggars,” said.
Ajayi told the reporter that the midwives were employed by the Federal Government and seconded to state governments in 2010, to help in reducing maternal mortality rate in the country, especially in the rural areas.
“Lagos then posted us to the various local government areas. We are the ones taking care of pregnant women, nursing mothers and babies there because there are not enough staff at the state primary health care centres. Some of the areas are so rural that some of the state staff avoid going there. That is why people were dying in such areas before we came on board,” she said.

http://sunnewsonline.com/lagos-midwives-protest-non-payment-of-11-month-salaries/

FG To Increase Salaries Next Year– Ngige

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has assured Nigerian workers of a pay rise next year.

Ngige stated this in Awka, the Anambra State capital, in an interactive session with journalists on Tuesday.

He said the various committees handling the minimum wage issue were working to arrive at something.

He said the minimum wage under Buhari would not be like any pay rise in the country.

The Minister said, “minimum wage is a constitutional issue and is in the exclusive list.

“The Nigerian workers are entitled to a review of their pay under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The various committees handling this matter are all working hard to realise the objective. Some are at the final stages of their work.”

He said the kind of minimum wage being worked out by the Buhari administration, would be enforceable by workers in both private and public sectors.

Ngige said that the new minimum wage would be couched in such a way that any employer of Labour in the country who would pay his workers below the minimum wage would be held liable.

Credit:

http://dailytimes.ng/fg-increase-salaries-next-year-ngige/

NLC decries arbitrary cut in civil servants’ salary

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has faulted the Federal Government’s upward review of deduction from workers’ salaries.

Peter Ozo-Eson, NLC General Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria in an interview on Tuesday, that the increased deduction was unacceptable.

“We got complaints from a number of workers about the pay that they got last month, being a fall compared to what they use to get.

“We have tried to make enquires as to how this has come about, and we heard that there has being upward revisions in the number of deduction that has been taking place before.

“The National Housing Fund, Pension contributions and the PAYE (Pay as You Earn), that is the Personal Income Tax deduction.

“We are at a loss as to how that will happen, because with regards to the National Housing Fund, it is stipulated what percentage of salary goes as deduction.

“So whatever has been deducted in the past is based on that law and therefore you cannot just wake up and change the amount of deduction.

“It will require an amendment and a change to the subsisting law before you can do that effectively.”

He called on the Federal Government to have a rethink on the situation as workers were already in hardship.

He said that NLC had received complaints from various workers that their November salaries were reduced as compared to what they used to get.

He said that the amount deducted ranged from N5,000 to N10,000 and above, depending on grade levels.

He explained that the Pension Contributions 2004 Pension Act as amended stipulates 7.5 per cent as employee contribution.

According to him, what can be done and what the law allows is that the matching contribution of the employer is set as a minimum and is free to increase what it has.

“But for the employee, the law stipulates that, without amendment to the law, you cannot habitually change the contribution.

“If you are going to change what people have been paying as tax, you will need to change the law and that is at least to put people on notice.

“You need to discuss with the employees because it is the workers who are going to suffer this reduction.

“For people to wake up in this harsh economic time and suddenly without even being informed, suddenly see a drop in their “take home pay’’ is something that is basically unacceptable.

“I think that government needs to restore people’s salaries to what it used to be,’’ he said.

Mr. Ozo-Eson said that NLC would meet its affiliates in the civil service union and other public sector to fashion out how government would be advised to stop such actions.

He said that given the hash economic situation, there was need for government to bring out interventions that would cushion the drastic fall in the income of workers.

“We do not want what will further escalate and complicate the conditions and we are going into the festive seasons,” he added.

“We Are Not Owing Workers Salaries” – Kaduna Government insists.

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Kaduna State Government has dismissed allegations saying it is among the 33 States in the country that cannot pay workers salaries.

In an interview with Channels Television, the State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Abdul Kwari, explains that civil servants in the state under the present administration have been receiving their salaries on the 25th of every month after the verification of workers was conducted. He however described the report as inaccurate and misleading.

The Finance Commissioner further explains that in spite of the challenging economic situation in the country, the state government is embarking on many people oriented projects that align with his campaign promises to alleviate poverty and ensure wealth creation.
He also said that with the improvement of Internally Generated Revenue and the plan to obtain loan from financial institutions, government will be able to complete some of the ongoing projects across the state.

“It cannot be true because we have been regular in our salary payments, we owe no worker any salary as today that i speak to with you.

“The 25th of every month, has been our salary date, and we have been keeping fate with that coming into this government, is the undertaken of the governor that he would try as much as possible to meet up with the obligation to workers, and he has been keeping fate with that.

“We have no issues of salary whatsoever the state level and also at the local government level. Because we make sure that whatever is due to local government is giving to them, and they also discharge that responsibility with utmost care. This has been the story of the state, and we are not in any way owing salary. And we shouldn’t have been listed among the states that owe salaries of workers.

That report, wherever it came from is false, we pay salaries even before FAAC allocation comes in, while other states wait for money to be received from the Federal Government, we have been judicious enough in our management of resources. We are a 1.6 bIllion Naira IGR state and this we have celebrated, and we make sure that salaries receive topmost priority.

” This is the directive of the governor, Nasir El-Rufai and the Ministry of Finance has been discharging that responsibility , and 25th of every month like i said, is salary day. I don’t think that being indebted is a crime as far as you make judicious use of the funds received.

” We may be exposed to loan in the future and we will make sure we complete ongoing projects. So I don’t think it will be a bad idea and there is nothing wrong with taking loan so far that you can make judicious use of it.

“The best way to deploy government resources is to plan ahead of time and I think Kaduna state is a shinning example of that”

FG Saves N20bn On Salaries Monthly After Fishing Out Ghost Workers

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Federal Government says it has been saving about N20 billion on salaries monthly since it began to fish out ghost workers.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, said this while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja on the sideline of a workshop on cost management.

The workshop was organised for Directors and top civil servants of Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by the Efficiency Unit of the Ministry of Finance.

Isa-Dutse said that the drastic reduction in the cost of monthly wages was from N165 billion to N145 billion monthly.

He said this was done with the assistance of the Presidential Committee on Audit of MDAs. He said the committee had the responsibility of continuous auditing of MDAs’ salaries and wages.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Isa-Dutse had declared the workshop open on behalf of the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun when she said the present administration was interested in cutting costs and giving value for money spent.

She said that the main aim of the workshop was to sensitise public officials to cost and share with them some tools to manage the cost.

“It is basically to train on how, as a government, we can manage our cost better. It is not only imperative that we look at ways to generate more money for government, but at the same time we must also manage our cost more efficiently.

“As we have seen even though revenue has gone down in the last couple of years, expenditure, particularly overhead has not gone down correspondingly and that has created fiscal pressures for the government.

” What we are doing is to look at whatever ways we can to generate more savings for the government to be run more efficiently.

“We want the savings realised from the efficiencies to be channeled into higher priority areas like infrastructure and social welfare spending,’’ she said

Head of the Efficiency Unit, Mrs Patience Oniha, said that in the last one year that the unit was established, it had saved the government about N15 billion.

The savings, she said, were from overheads and reduction in excessive foreign travels and other allowances.

The Head of the Efficiency Unit added that more funds would be saved by consciously eliminating waste of government resources.

She also said that the unit was working on several other items to be added to the list of cost cutting items.

Credit:

http://guardian.ng/news/fg-saves-n20bn-on-salaries-monthly/

Why FG can’t pay salaries of former presidents – SGF

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Nigeria has not paid salaries and other allowances to four former ex-presidents due to lack of funds.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, who disclosed this to visiting members of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs in Abuja, said President Muhammadu Buhari could not approve payments for ex-presidents Shehu Shagari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Ibrahim Babangida in the last 10 months due to lack of funds.

The delay in paying ‘pension’ and other benefits to former presidents could deprive the incumbent of the much-needed support of his predecessors as economic downturn and government’s anti-corruption crusade impacts Nigeria’s political landscape.

Giving his own explanation of the development in a chat with the Senate committee led by Tijjani Kaura (APC, Zamfara North), the SGF attributed it to unavailability of funds in the service wide vote for salaries of ex-presidents. Payment schedules were said to have been sent to the President for approval to assess funds in the service wide vote, an emergency fund reserved for special purposes.

“There is a department responsible for payment of former president’ entitlements, Lawal said.

“At present, funds are not available in service wide votes to do that. We are aware there was a protest in Bayelsa State that the former president was not paid, but we’ve explained that he’s not the only one affected.

“Others affected are Inter-Religious Council, Traditional Rulers Council and so on. For some reason, we have been writing and writing, but there has been no response. And there is presently no money to pay them.”

The SGF continued: “The budget for this year’s democracy day was N33 million, and we had to do it on credit; we are yet to pay. There are lots of retreat, which ought to be organised but there’s no money to do any. The last time we got any release was in August.”

The senators were not swayed by the explanation. They insisted that joint efforts be made between the office of the SGF and the committee to find solution to the problem, which they described as “unfortunate.”

The lawmakers stressed the need to draw the attention of the budget office and ministry of finance to the development with a view to having it addressed immediately.

Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, described the non-payment of former presidents as abnormal.

“What we have seen here is an abnormality. Before referring any matter to the National Assembly, it is a function of the executive to appropriate funds. Therefore, the SGF should understand that there is something wrong in this office that must be addressed.

“There is no way you can run the expenses of this office without cash backing. We definitely have to draw the attention of the budget office and ministry of finance to the problems,” Hunkuyi said.

The lawmaker also faulted the office of the SGF over the replication of 2016 budget details in its 2017 budget proposal.

Also condemning the development, former Governor of Sokoto State, and lawmaker representing Sokoto North in the National Assembly, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, said: “We can understand if former President Goodluck Jonathan has not been paid because he just left office. But for someone like Shagari, who lives from hand to mouth is something I can’t understand. This development is really unfortunate; it doesn’t indicate seriousness, and it doesn’t indicate fairness.”

But attempting to assuage the anger of the lawmakers, the SGF explained: “When I got into this office, there was a lot of money in this account, but there was no TSA (Treasury Single Account).

“Before the government left office, they jacked up salaries. We told former Presidents Jonathan and Obasanjo that they could not earn twice what the others were earning. So we told them we wanted to review it, and we did. So they now earn what the others earn as well.

“When I came into office, there was N1.5 billion in the account. We had payment of all liabilities, which came to N700 million. Then we wrote to the president to return what was left to the TSA. That was how we came back to a zero balance.

“It is painful to me because as a person I know all of them (ex-presidents) personally. Now, why have we not been able to get the money? We requested a budget of N700 million, but the president has his way of doing things.

“Look around, you’ll see government vehicles breaking down every now and then. Really, I know the challenges the budget office is facing, but the truth is the funds are not just there. In any government, there are certain agencies that must be served first before others. So we have agreed on that. However, we will lean harder on the finance ministry to see that the situation is turned around.

“As SGF I’m getting embarrassed and demeaned by chasing money. All MDAs come to me for things to be done, and it is not quite easy, but we try our best.

“Last year, these political appointees had nothing. As to assistance, we really need assistance to retain all that we have budgeted for,” he added.

Lawal also urged the National Assembly to approve funds proposed by his office in the 2017 budget to be submitted soon, saying: “We need your help to defend what is in our budget. This is part of the change agenda, so we must learn to sew our cloth according to the material.”

27 States Struggling To Pay Salaries- Buhari

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Staff Reporter

President Muhammadu Buhari, lamented yesterday that about 27 of the 36 states in the country are still battling with payment of salaries.
President Buhari stated this at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja while meeting with ICRC President, Mr. Peter Maurer.
He commended the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross in last Thursday’s release of the 21 abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
The president, however, stressed that Nigeria’s biggest problem was, perhaps, the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
He noted that there were over two million IDPs “made up of over 60 per cent women and children. About 60 per cent of the children don’t know their parents, or where they come from. It is weighing heavily on government.”
He said the rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure was a priority of his administration, pointing out that the G7 nations had equally indicated support which Nigeria heartily welcomed.
According to the president, “It is a difficult time for Nigeria. About 27 of our 36 states couldn’t pay salaries when we came last year, and we are still struggling with that. But we will get out of it.”
In his remarks, Maurer described the ICRC’s operation in the Lake Chad region as the second largest in the world after Syria, saying “there are nutritional, health, water and sanitation issues in the North-east, in addition to rebuilding of infrastructure.”
The ICRC president declared that his organisation was ready to engage and play supportive role in responding to crisis in Nigeria.

Credit:

http://sunnewsonline.com/27-states-struggling-to-pay-salaries-buhari/

Legislative aides protest unpaid salaries, allowances.

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The lobby of the National Assembly was Wednesday besieged by legislative aides who were protesting the non-payment of their salaries and allowances which they said run into N1.5 billion.

The protesters also lamented that there were being denied training benefits and welfare packages despite assurances by management.

An aide, Mr. Yusuf Modu, said the permanent staff were being regularly paid by the management despite excuses of unavailability of funds.

“I don’t know why this discrimination exists despite the important role we play to senators and members of the House of Representatives. Today’s protest is to tell management that enough is enough, next time we storm this place, we will not allow the Speaker and the Senate President enter the chambers until they address us,” he said.

Another aide, Kingsley Uche, said they were yet to receive their salary for September.

“Our entitlements such as transport allowance for five quarters of the year, this is since last year -has not been paid to us. It’s the same for our 28-day allowance which has not been paid to most of us. We are entitled to training at least one each quota but till date, we have never been sent for training,” he said.

The Director of Information at the National Assembly, Mr. Isyaku Dibal, while reacting to the protest, said it was not deliberate that the aides have not been paid.

“Their monies come along with salaries and allowances of legislators they work with, from the federal government,” he said.

In another development, the main gate of the National Assembly was also besieged by protesters in favour of suspended lawmaker, Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumin and those against him.

Anti Abdulmumin protesters commenced their protests on Tuesday bearing placards demanding for his recall by his constituency.

They continued on Wednesday morning but were joined by protesters protesting the embattled lawmaker’s suspension.

There was however no clashes between the two groups as security men were at hand to ensure there was no breakdown of order.

Unpaid Salaries: Bayelsa teachers meet, insist on strike.

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Bayelsa State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on all public primary and secondary school teachers in the state to continue observing the strike declared by the union.

Teachers have been on strike since the resumption of the new academic session to protest unpaid arrears of salaries and other unfulfilled obligations of the government.

It was gathered that the NUT had an emergency congress on Monday and resolved that the industrial action should continue.

The body called on the teachers to disregard the directive given by the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) that the teachers should resume work.

The state Chairman of the NUT, Mr. Kalama Tonpre, alleged that the ASUSS might have been compromised and called on the teachers to stay at home until the NUT would call off the strike.

Kalama also called on members of the public to disregard the allegation by the state’s Commissioner for Information that the union had been politicised.

He, however, said the commissioner’s position was his personal opinion which did not represent the standpoint of the state government.

But the state government, yesterday, assured the teachers of prompt payment of their salaries and allowances and appealed to them to call off their strike.

The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Markson Fefegha, gave the assurance during a one day workshop on the preparation of monthly payment vouchers and nominal rolls held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall,Yenagoa.

Fefegha said the preparation of vouchers in line with the present administration’s policy on transparency to stop the sharp practices perpetrated by some unscrupulous elements in the system.

He said the seminar would assist in addressing the issue of voucher preparation to ease the payment process adding that the Governor Seriake Dickson-led government was passionate about the teaching profession.

He said: “I am sure that most of you have received the two halves and we are working assiduously so that by next week you would receive your other month salary so that you would not only be at par but will be ahead of other civil servants in the state”.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, appreciated the principals for their cooperation and urged them to prepare an all-inclusive payroll.

He scored the government high in educational transformation and urged to safeguard the infrastructure built by the government.

Pay us our salaries, Bayelsa teachers tells Governor Dickson

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Primary and secondary school teachers in Bayelsa State, Wednesday, deplored eight months of unpaid salaries and marginalisation in the state appealing to the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, to pay the arrears.

Marking Teachers Day in low key at their secretariat in Yenagoa, the teachers, under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) said Bayelsa’s educational sector was replete with crises.

The state Chairman, NUT, Mr. Kalama John-Tonpre, reeled out the problems facing teachers in the state as non-payment of salaries for about eight months; non-implementation of teachers promotion over the years and non-payment of annual increments.

Others, according to him, are abdication of primary schools’ responsibilities by the state government and illegal dismissal of teachers employed in 2008 and 2009.

John-Tonpre among others, further decried shortage of teachers without recruitment in the school system and non-provision of instructional materials.

He said: “Some protracted but unattended issues in the sector are over-populated classrooms, poor standard of education resulting from poor funding, inconsistency and non-implementation of education policies.

“Also, there is frequent disruption of the school system, moral decadence of the youth and eventually the underdevelopment of the state.”

The NUT boss, however, acknowledged some efforts of Governor Seriake Dickson in educational development such as the construction off senatorial model schools, establishment of Teachers Training Institute (TTI) and repositioning the Isaac Adaka Boro College of Education.

He regretted that teachers were suffering from marginalisation in the state and the country.

“The current problems of the society characterised by disease, poverty, unemployment, kidnapping, militancy, injustice, lawlessness, greed for political powers and lack of conscience for humanity are all traced to the agonies of teachers”, he said.

John-Tonpre appealed to the state government to as a matter of urgency satisfy the genuine demands of the teachers in the interest of advancing education for the benefit of the underprivileged in the state.

He said: “Currently, so many teachers have retired and about a good number of teachers were dismissed from the school system with no recruitment of new ones to replace them.

“Consequently, some primary schools in Bayelsa State have no single teachers to teach the children – our future leaders. The issue deserves urgent attention as it portends danger at the foundation level of the education system.”

He urged the state government to reinstate the dismissed teachers and recruit more teachers to fill the vacancies created in various schools across the state.

He said: “Currently, so many teachers had retired and about a good number of teachers were dismissed from the school system with no recruitment of new ones to replace them. Consequently some primary schools in Bayelsa State have n single teacher to teach the children, our future leaders.

“The issue deserves urgent attention as it portends danger at the foundation level of the education system. The NUT, therefore, calls on the state government to urgently reinstate the dismissed teachers and recruit more teachers to fill the vacancies created”.

John-Tonpre also appealed to Governor Seriake Dickson to take up the responsibility of paying primary school teachers’ salaries because the councils alone could no longer bear such responsibility.

Speaking at the event, the National President, NUT, Mr. Michael Olukoya, in his address read by the state Secretary, NUT, Mr. Jonhson Hector, called on the Federal Government and the relevant authorities to consider raising retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years.

Olukoya further appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that only professionally trained and qualified persons were engaged in the proposed recruitment of 500,000 teachers to promote professionalism and effective service delivery.

Unpaid Salaries: Cross River State Teachers Shun Resumption

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Staff Reporter

Primary school teachers in Cross River State on Wednesday shunned resumption over unpaid four months salaries owed them by the government.

Punch NG report that Pupils in the primary and secondary schools across the state were supposed to resume for the 2016/2017 session on Wednesday, after the long summer holidays.

But while teachers in the secondary schools resumed for duties, their colleagues in primary schools shunned work, due to the inability of the state government to pay their four months salaries before the holiday elapsed.

Our correspondent, who visited few primary schools in Calabar South and Calabar Municipal local government areas observed that pupils were turned back home.

“This strike was necessitated by the fact that the government cannot expect us to work for free when we have responsibilities to take care of. All of these mean that the primary school system in the state will suffer and this should ordinarily not be the case,” a teacher in one of the primary schools, who claimed anonymity said.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Eyo-Nsa Itam, confirmed that all primary school teachers across the state were asked to stay off duty to press for the payment.

When contacted, the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Goddy Etta, said the teachers would resume on Monday as efforts were ongoing to pay the salaries.

LG Salaries: Governor Ahmed Approves Release of N250m For August Salaries

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has approved the release of N250 million as augmentation for local councils in the State to enable them pay their workers’ August, 2016 salaries in full.

According to the State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, the governor gave the approval on arrival from Abuja this evening, following the verification of the figures provided by the 16 LG chairmen in the State.

Alhaji Banu said with the approval, the local councils will start receiving the money as from tomorrow (Friday) morning after all necessary documentations are completed . He also expressed optimism that the LG workers will start getting their salary tomorrow.

The Commissioner noted that the N250 million will be shared among the local governments based on their specific shortfall in August allocation. Alhaji Banu expressed optimism that the current financial crisis facing all tiers of government in the country will soon be a thing of the past, while also urging the LG workers to be patient with their respective council authorities while the payments are processed.

It will be recalled that Governor Ahmed while meeting with LG chairmen and officials of the State chapter of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Tuesday, expressed the willingness of the State government to assist the local councils to meet their salary on a need by need basis

Kwara State: Government May Assist Individual LGs on Salary Arrears

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Kwara State government says it is prepared to assist local councils in the State to pay their workers’ salaries on a case by case basis.

The State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed said this during a joint meeting with the 16 LG chairmen and the officials of the State Chapter of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

The governor frowned at NULGE’s resort to destroying public property and utilizing negative propaganda against the leadership of the State to protest delay in payment of salary.

Governor Ahmed noted that neither the State government nor the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki is responsible for the local council’s inability to pay workers’ salaries as wrongly alleged by the protesters.

He emphasized that the nation is currently going through a recession, which has impacted on allocations going to all tiers of government including local governments, which according to him is responsible for the delay in salary payment.

The governor, however, assured that the State government will consider coming to the aid of the local councils on a case by case basis if they adopt appropriate channels to make their demands.

Continuing, he emphasized that the LGs have varying degrees of salary arrears and therefore, urged their chairmen to approach the State’s Ministry of Finance for assistance on an individual basis.

According to him, the assistance will be considered on the basis of each local government’s peculiar case; State government’s available resources and the provisions of the law, as the 2016 appropriation makes provision for the State government bailout to LGs.

He urged members of NULGE to either approach the House of Assembly for an amendment in JAAC law if they have any objection to its provisions or approach the Executive arm of government if they object to the implementation of the law.

Governor Ahmed also noted that NULGE members can as well approach the Judiciary for a judicial interpretation of the law guiding JAAC rather than taking the law into their own hands.

It’s Criminal To Owe LG Workers 18 Months Salaries- Ize-Iyamu

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The PDP candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, yesterday described as criminal the failure of APC governments to pay council workers for 18 months while the state government is allegedly doling out N120 million to female supporters of Governor Oshiomhole.

Assuring the citizens that their weeping would soon be over, Ize-Iyamu was quoted in a press statement issued by his campaign, in reaction to a peaceful protest by local government workers over non payment of their salaries, yesterday.

“It is only a wicked, insensitive and irresponsible governor that will deny the workers their salaries, especially when Oshiomhole just donated N120 million to some selected market women at the Dr. Osaigbovo Ogbemudia Staduim, Benin-City, thanking them for supporting his administration.

‘’How did he spend the $225 million loan he took from the World Bank, which he said would improve the investment climate and increase the internally generated revenue of the state?

‘’How can the governor justify the N18m he pays to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Channels Television at every rally for live coverage – when workers are being owned salaries?

‘’Is it right and just for Oshiomhole to be giving each local government council N18m anytime he goes for campaign, spends millions of naira hiring touts and hoodlums and yet, the welfare of government workers means nothing to him?”

Credit: Vanguard

254 Teachers Drag Wike To Court Over Unpaid Salaries

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Staff Reporter

No fewer than 254 workers, whose salaries have been stopped since February 2016, have dragged the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Bayelsa State.

The workers, who are teachers of primary and demonstration schools of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, and Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, have prayed the court to compel the government to pay their salaries.

Governor Wike had reportedly announced in February 2016 that the state government would no longer pay the salaries of primary and secondary schools’ teachers of demonstration schools of RSUST and other designated institutions where pupils and students pay school fees.

The teachers, 102 of RSUST, 97 of IAUE and 55 of KSWP, claimed that since Wike’s order in February, their relevant institutions had refused to pay their salaries.

While the demonstration schools at KSWP are said to have been shut down since Wike’s directive, those of RSUST and IAUE have yet to be closed down but the affected teachers have remained unpaid for five months.

The claimants (unpaid teachers) in suits NICN/YEN/87/2016 for IAUE; NICN/YEN/88/2016 for KSWP and NICN/YEN/89/2016 for RSUST, sued Nyesom Wike (1st defendant), for ordering the stoppage of their salaries.

The claimants, who prayed the court to declare their appointments valid and subsisting, also joined the Attorney-General of Rivers State (2nd defendant) and their various institutions – RSUST, IAUE and KSWP (3rd defendant) in the suit.

In the reliefs sought by the claimants against the defendants, jointly and severally, they prayed the industrial court to declare that their respective employments were valid and subsisting.

Credit: Punch

FG To Begin Payment Of Salaries By 25th Of Every Month– AGF

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, says the Federal Government plans to begins payment of staff salaries by the 25th of every month, as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Idris, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, said “this is going to be given a test, I believe, by this month’’.

The AGF also said that the government was working on a new arrangement, which, if approved, would ensure payment of the salaries before the monthly meeting of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

According to him, usually, salaries are paid after the FAAC meeting, where revenue accruing to the federation’s account are shared between the federal, state and local governments.

“There is a standing instruction of Mr President to pay salary on or before 24 or 25 of every month and we will try as much as possible to comply and to abide by that.

“We are taking a step further to make a provision whereby we can accommodate salary payments even before FAAC.

“This is going to be given a test I believe by this month.

“We will go to seek for necessary approval of our political masters to make sure that at least salary and other statutory payments are made even before FAAC.

“Because we can project how much they are and therefore we can prepare and hit the ground running to make them realisable and actualised.

“Even where we delay FAAC, we can still pay salary.’’

Idris dispelled the widely held belief that the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy is responsible for the delay in the payment of salaries and attributed the situation to the crash in global oil prices, which has affected the inflow of income to the country

Credit: Leadership

FG Borrows N600 Billion Monthly To Augment Salaries

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Staff Reporter

The Federal government has again owned up to the crumbling economy of the nation, lamenting that it borrows an average of N600 billion every month to augment payment of workers’ salaries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 63rd General Church Council (GCC) of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) held at ECWA headquarters in Jos on Tuesday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, who represented President Mohammadu Buhari further lamented that the Buhari-led administration inherited a country that had been robbed to the last coffer, hence leaving an ailing economy that must be nurtured and endured for some time before its stabilizes.

He said: “the federal government borrows an average of N600 billion monthly; and Federal Government gets N130 billion, and sometimes if it is lucky, it gets N200 billion from Federation allocation, and we have an expenditure profile of roughly N800 billion to N900 billion. Naturally, you need to augment sources from everywhere and from wherever you can find it.

“I’m talking about local borrowings, not international. There are ways and means to raise the money, because the monies coming from the Federal allocation is not enough and the figures is not fixed; it varies from month to month, depending on what enters into the treasury and our own share of it federation account, just like the states.”

Credit: Thisday

Cost Of Governance: Governors To Reduce Salaries Of Political Appointees

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has announced plans to reduce the salaries of political office holders as a means of reducing the huge overhead costs of state governments in the face of declining fiscal revenue.

The chairman of the forum, Abdulaziz Yari, announced the decision on Thursday after a 4-hour meeting at the Presidential Villa.

The forum said that it has plans to hold a round-table meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to find a solution to the economic situation confronting the country.

The governors said that something must be done to address the revenue constraints confronting the economy, promising their commitment to ensuring that a new roadmap is worked out.

Credit: ChannelsTV

659 Teachers Sue Adamawa State Government Over 29 Months Unpaid Salaries

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Teachers in Adamawa state have dragged the state government to court over unpaid salaries. The teachers, 659 of them, were recruited by Adamawa state Government in 2012 and have worked without pay for 29 months.

The teachers sued the Adamawa State Government as 1st respondent, Ministry of Education 2nd respondent, Post Primary School Management Board 3rd respondent and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice as 4th respondent.

The teachers, through their Counsel, A.B Babakano, sought a declaration that their appointment was valid, lawful and not illegal, having worked for a period of 29 months.

They also sought a declaration that having worked for the defendants for the period of months were entitled to the payment of their salaries/wage, allowances and entitlements totalling N638,966,400.00.

A spokesperson for them also said they resorted to legal action after all efforts, including peaceful demonstration, to have government pay their salaries for the months they had worked failed.

Non-Payment Of Salaries, Osun Legislators To Rescue Aregbesola

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Bothered by the plight and inability of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state to pay workers and pensioners salaries, both the National and State Assemblies legislators will this tomorrow organise a conference aimed at salvaging the state government from the present predicament.

Tagged “Osun Stakeholders’ Conference – Our State, Our Stake,” the forum would bring stakeholders, including present and past leaders as well as religious leaders together.

Addressing a press conference at the weekend, members of the House of Representatives from Osun state led by Hon, Mrs Ayo Omidiran, said that the aim of the conference is to deliberate on how to liberate the state from the present situation. We hope they succeed at it

We Will Reduce Lawmakers’ Salaries, Allowances- Senate

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Senate has disclosed that the salaries and allowances of lawmakers will be reduced in line with the existing economic realities facing the country.

The chairman, Senate adhoc committee on information, Senator Dino Melaye, who made this disclosure yesterday when addressing newsmen, ?said the committee saddled with the responsibility of reviewing the salaries of lawmakers had submitted its report.

According him, there was the need to reduce the allowances of lawmakers in response to the directives of the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, who had set up a finance committee to review the allowance of Senators.

He said the senators had made a progressive reduction in their salaries as the Senate president had insisted they must all make sacrifices for the nation.

“The Senate president said we must sacrifice, as we cannot carry out proper oversight of the MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies) if we have not made proper sacrifice,” he said, asserting that the 8th Senate would be a responsible one.

Read More: leadership

PDP Announces Reduction Of Staff Strength, Salaries And Allowances

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Barely two months into its new status as the opposition political party, having governed the country for sixteen years, the Peoples Democratic Party, has started struggling with the challenge of being an opposition, as it yesterday announced that the party will reduce allowances, staff strength by 50%.

The party has also said it would reduce the salaries and allowances of its staff by 50%, even as the allowances of members of the National Working Committee, NWC would be slashed down by 50%.

In a letter signed by PDP National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo and addressed to all director and administrative staff of PDP, the leadership of the Party would also reduce the number of its security by 50%.

The letter dated 29 July, 2015 with reference number PS/DD/AD/HOD/SAs/PAS and obtained by Vanguard, the Secretary who noted that the decisions were reached at the 406th meeting of the NWC yesterday, stressed that the party’s Research Directorate has also been abolished and functions of the Directorate transferred to the Peoples Democratic Institute.

The copy of the memo, entitled “Reorganization and Restructuring of Staff at the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party”, read in full, “The NWC, at its 406^th meeting held on 29^th July, 2015, considered the Report on the reorganization and restructuring of staff at the National Secretariat and approved the

following: i. Reduction of the allowances of all NWC members by 50%.

ii. Reduction of the number of personal staff of the NWC members by 50%

iii. Reduction in the number of security personnel attached tAnnoo the National Officers by 50%

iv. The reduction of the salaries and allowances of all staff (Establishment and

Staff of NWC members) by 50% effective August, 2015.

v. Abolition of the Research Directorate and transfer of its functions to the Peoples Democratic Institute.

“Furthermore, Establishment staff who would remain are required to obtain individual letter of revalidation from their State Party Chapter within one month of this circular as to their suitability for service at the National Secretariat.”

Source – vanguardngr.com

Plateau State Gov. Lalong Clears Salaries, Pension Arrears

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The director general, Research, Strategic Planing and Documentation, to Plateau State government, Prof. John Wade has disclosed that in less that 60 days in office the administration of Mr. Simon Lalong, has hit the ground running by paying arrears of civil servants salaries and pension left by the immediate past administration of Jonah Jang .

Prof. Wade who disclosed this in Jos yesterday said the state government has also held a stakeholder’s meeting between the Fulani herdsmen and their Berom counterpart with a view to bring to an end the incessant attacks and killings among the two groups in the state.

“Apart from paying salaries arrears, and redefining governance in the state, Governor Lalong has also mobilised contractors handling different road projects in the metropolis to site so as to commence work, and to reduce the suffering of motorists.”

He pointed out that immediately after the inauguration of the present administration, the first 30 days was used to take stock as there was little or no information on governance, consequently the governor directed that a transition committee should be reconstituted into different sub-committees with a view to redefine the focus of government in the state.

Read More: leadership

Gov. Aregbesola Explains Why He Can’t Pay State Workers’ Salaries

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has once again blamed the failure of his administration to pay workers salaries as at when on the drop in allocations to the state from the Federation Account.

Aregbesola said this Friday night during a chat with newsmen on the sidelines of an award to him for service to humanity by Voice of African Women for Human Dignity, an NGO.

The award was presented to Aregbesola at Asokoro, Abuja.

The governor said that he was pained by his government’s inability to pay salaries regularly.

“I have found it hard to pay the wage bills owing to the declining federal allocation to the state.

“Federal allocation to the state has reduced by 40 per cent since 2013, thereby making it difficult for my government to meet its responsibilities,” he said.

Aregbesola said the situation became so bad at a point that he resorted to the state’s reserves, which he said also ran out on the payment of salaries.

He said administration had already to accumulate debt of N12 billion in its bid to ensure that salaries were paid regularly, adding that his government was committed to the people’s welfare.

Aregbesola commended the group for the award and promised that he would inspire him to do more for the public.

“I got into politics so that I can render quality services to the suffering people of my state because majority of the people are hungry and angry,’’ he said.

At the presentation of the award by Hajia Amina Idris, the president of group, said the award was to appreciate the governor for his service to humanity.

“This award of excellence is in recognition of your immense contribution to humanity”, she said.

Idris said Aregbesola had been exceptionally helpful in the area of improving child education and promotion of human dignity through lofty programmes.

Credit – vanguardngr.com

Akwa Ibom Denies Owing Workers Salaries

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Chief Press Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Ekerette Udoh, has said that the state government does not owe civil servants salaries.

Udoh, who spoke with our correspondent in Uyo on Wednesday, said it was regrettable that the state was mistakenly lumped into the group of states that owe workers salaries in the national dailies.

He said, “Akwa Ibom State does not owe workers salaries at all. The state was mistakenly lumped into states that owe workers salaries in the national dailies.”

Earlier, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, had said that salaries and allowances in the state constitute first line charges.

He stated that by first-line charges, salaries and allowances of workers, irrespective of their levels or grades, were paid first before government attended to any other matters that required money.

“Akwa Ibom State Government does not owe workers salaries. Salary is the first-line charge in Akwa Ibom State,” he said

Read More: punchng

Workers To Governors: Don’t Blow N713b Bailout Cash

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Workers were yesterday in high spirits over President Muhammadu Buhari’s N713.7 billion bailout for states to pay outstanding salaries. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), hailed the president’s action. The NLC urged Buhari to ensure that the governors spend the money on salary arrears.

It warned against “a situation that the governors that could not manage their allocation properly will be rewarded by being given special recognition”.

The General Secretary of the Congress, Dr. Peter Ozon-Eson, said: “Our appeal is that Mr. President should please prevail on the governors to ensure that when they get these sharing they should not
again blow it on other things. The first priority must be defraying the arrears of salaries and pensions of pensioners who have not been paid for 11 to 12 months. ”

Ozon-Esson, who is also the NLC chief economist, said the congress was happy about the Federal Government’s intervention, recalling that the congress presented the debt profile to the Presidential Transition Committee.

In the three-pronged bailout plan is the N413.7billion special intervention fund, the N413.7b ($2.1b) Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) proceeds and a N300b Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention loan.

Federal workers who are being owed are also to benefit from the plan.

But labour officials warned the state governments against misapplying the cash.

Deputy President of the factional NLC Comrade Isah Aremu said: “President Buhari has been very vocal since he assumed office in making a case for workers to be paid as at when due.

“President Buhari once said that it is a disgrace that Nigerian states could not pay salaries. So, what he has done now is that he has commendably walked his talk. He has also shown that if there is a will, there will always be a way.

“Now, the defaulting governors must learn from the President’s approach – that you don’t have any excuse not to pay workers’ salaries. He has shown that no reason can justify why workers are not paid.

“The governors must also prioritise their needs henceforth in a way that workers are given priority and not rely on the President to give them bailout from the Federation Account”.

Aremu said labour was happy that Buhari already living up to his mandate, adding that what is important now is for it to be sustained.

The Nation

Journalists Protest Over Non-Payment Of Salaries

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigeria Union of Journalists on Tuesday picketed the premises of ThisDay newspapers in Apapa, Lagos to protest the non-payment of nine months arrears of salaries owed its members.

The newspaper has also failed to remit personal income tax, pension cooperative deductions and check-off dues from paid salaries in the last four years.

The union, led by the NUJ Lagos State Chairman, Deji Elumoye, carried placards and barricaded the entrances of the media organisation, owned by the President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Nduka Obaigbena.

Mr. Elumoye, who is also a staff of ThisDay, said he decided to lead the protest against his organisation to show that charity begins at home.

He said the protesting journalists were condemning the continuous refusal of the management of ThisDay and 12 other media houses to settle the several months arrears of salaries to their workers, especially journalists.

”I am an associate editor in Thisday,” he said. “But, I chose to picket Thisday first. There are other media organisations owing over two years, and we will go to all of them. It is time to put a stop to non-payment of salaries in media organisations. Many families cannot pay their house rents or their children’s school fees. The journalists are paid peanuts. Yet, they do not get the salaries. It is sad.”

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Read President Buhari’s Speech To Govs Over Unpaid Salaries

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, AT THE OCCASION OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL, HELD AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA, ABUJA, ON MONDAY 29TH JUNE 2015.

Protocol

I am delighted to be here with you at this occasion on the inauguration of the National Economic Council (NEC) for this Administration. The National Economic Council was established by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999), as amended, Third Schedule, Part I, Section 153: Sub section (18 & 19). The NEC, as one of the Federal Executive bodies, has the mandate to advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the co-ordination of the economic planning and programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.

2. Your Excellencies, the regular meetings of the National Economic Council have remained the official economic platform for dialogue among the thirty six (36) State Governors, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and other co-opted members, chaired by the Vice President, where issues and challenges facing the development of the country, at national and sub-national levels, are discussed with a view to develop and harmonize common strategies for addressing them.

3. You may recall, that in my inaugural speech, on May 29, 2015 I stated that the primary objective of this Administration is to tackle insecurity; youth unemployment, through the revival of agriculture, solid minerals mining, as well as small and medium size businesses. I also highlighted pervasive corruption; fuel and power shortages; public service reforms; and the need to allow every tier of Government to exercise its constitutional responsibilities, among others. We are fully committed to embarking on sustainable visionary initiatives and programmes that will restructure and transform our national economy. We are also committed to ensuring collaboration and facilitation of the International efforts to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea piracy, refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), financial crimes, cyber crimes, climate change; the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the 21st century.

4. I urge you all to ensure that we surmount these enormous challenges facing us as a country by working to support economic policies, which the government will soon unveil to grow our economy and finance our external promises.

5. I am pleased to note that the Council meetings have, over the years, been very constructive and productive, and the key outcomes as well as recommendations translated into Government policies at the Federal and state levels. This has not only facilitated national economic planning, but also lead to over- all political harmony. It is also reassuring to note that steps have been taken in the past to strengthen the effectiveness of the Council in its role as prime adviser on developments in the economy. This process must be geared up substantially especially in the difficult times that we have now found ourselves. The National Planning Commission must continue to work to arrive at workable consensus on Government policies among the various tiers of Government, which is a prerequisite for sustained growth and development.

6. Your Excellencies, it is evident that the task of ensuring growth, job creation and equity, is quite enormous. Consequently, we must kick-start this process by cultivating a culture of prudent management of resources at all levels of Government. This will entail looking inwards to secure sustainable ways of increasing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR); and harnessing growth potentials of each State to supplement the Federation Account allocation to States. The States are also encouraged to embark on projects that will meet immediate needs of the people taking account of available resources. I therefore urge Council members to consider, as a matter of urgency, exploring efficient means of gradually liquidating all unpaid salaries of staff, which have brought untold hardship to thousands of families.

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Buhari Orders All State Governors To Settle Unpaid Salaries Of Workers In Their States

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Staff Reporter

While inaugurating the National Economic Council in the Abuja earlier today, President Buhari charged all the state governors present at the meeting to endeavour to settle the unpaid salaries of civil servants in their states. He asked the state governors to look inwards and find more ways to increase their Internally Generated Revenue…

Governors Owing Salaries Did Not Heed Okonjo-Iweala’s Advice – Monye

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Staff Reporter

A former official of the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has accused Governors in Nigeria owning workers’ salaries of turning a deaf ear to the advice of the Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Giving his opinion on Monday about the claims that the country’s treasury was empty, a former Senior Adviser to the President on Performance and Evaluation, Professor Sylvester Monye, urged Nigerians to hold Governors accountable for the non-payment of salaries to workers.

Professor Monye said that the Finance Minister had, when revenue allocation dropped,warned the governor’s to give priority to the payment of salaries, which according to him, was ignored by the Governors.

“When the Price of crude started falling down, the former Minister of Finance called a meeting of the Commissioner of Finance in states to advise that salaries should be made first line charge because revenue was coming down.

“No state Governor has no business talking about non-payment of salaries because they continued to receive money from the Federation Account,” he said.

In defence to the non-payment of salaries to some workers in about 18 out of 36 states, the governors said they had used part of their allocation on projects that should have been carried out by the Federal Government in their various States.

At a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to discuss the salary crisis, the Governors requested that the Federal Government should pay back monies spent on those projects.

However, Professor Monye insisted that the Governors had misplaced priorities, insisting that Nigerians should question why they could not pay.

“If they so choose to do contracts, as they have done, it is their decision.

“Nigerians ought to ask governors what they did with their money. It is the civic responsibility of all Nigerians.

“Did the governors have the authority of the Federal Government to work on the roads, as they claimed?

“The Federal Government never said you should not intervene but you have to discuss with the Federal Government and follow due process,” he insisted.

As part of assurance to the State governments, the Federal Government told the Governors at the meeting that it would look at the projects to know if they followed due process and make refunds.

Weeks after President Buhari took over office, he said that his administration met a virtually empty treasury that could affect the performance of his government within the first 100 days.

On the Buhari’s administration’s claims, Professor Monye said that the new administration was still using the language of opposition, which was completely different from the language of government.

He said the claim was not true.

“In government everything you say has fundamental implications.

“Parties that came together to form the APC have been very effective and they were successful of prosecuting their political campaign to the point of winning the election.

“But now that they are in government, whatever they say, the language must change to language of government.

“When you say certain fundamental things like; empty treasury, the country is broke and the economy is run aground, you are creating bigger problem for yourself because in my own position it is not true.

“It is not an issue of meeting an empty treasury. The fundamental is, are you supposed to meet anything in the treasury?” He questioned.

“Patriotic Illegality”

Explaining the circumstance that could have led to President Buhari’s statement, Professor Monye said that, as contained in the Constitution, the treasury was expected to be empty.

According to him, the Constitution of Nigeria stipulates that monies gotten from crude oil sales should be shared between the Federal and State Governments.

He, however, further explained that a former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, during his tenure, saw the need for excess amount earned from sales of crude to be saved, a situation that resulted in the establishment of an Excess Crude Account.

Professor Monye described the account as a “patriotic illegality”, as he explained further that Governors in Nigeria had gone to court to request that the money in the account should be shared, as it was unconstitutional.

“The constitution says that any money that is made in the country from all revenue sources must be put into the Federation Account and be shared between the states and the Federal Government.

“What is saved in the Excess Crude Account is the excess from what is earned and the current oil bench mark as stipulated in the budget.

“How can you be talking about an empty treasury, where there is a court case that is saying that the money in the Excess Crude Account should be shared?” Professor Monye further questioned.

He stressed the need for a fundamental reform of the Constitution to make provision for the Excess Crude Account which he said was necessary for any government or nation that wanted economic stability.

“What we need to do is to compel the government to save a certain percentage of what it receives from the Federation account,” he added.

Osun House Of Assembly Asks Aregbesola To Respond To Petition Asking Him To Resign

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam, on Wednesday, confirmed it received a copy of the petition written by a serving female judge in the state, Justice Folahanmi Oloyede against Governor Rauf Aregbesola, over non-payment of salaries.

Speaking with journalists in Osogbo, on Wednesday, Salaam said: “I can confirm that the assembly received the petition. But, there is an ongoing strike now, therefore, we cannot do anything serious on it.

“A copy of the petition had been sent to Governor Aregbesola for him to state his own defence.”

The Nigerian Tribune said it gathered that the assembly had written another letter to Aregbesola, requesting him to react to the content of the petition.

Justice Oloyede had called on the state House of Assembly to investigate the alleged mismanagement of the state financial resources by the governor and his deputy, in accordance with sections 128 and 129 of the 1999 Constitution, saying there was no moral justification for their continued stay in office.

In a 30-page petition, she also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Amnesty International, Transparency International, among others, to investigate any other person found to be responsible for what he described as “deliberate mismanagement of the economy of Osun State.”

“I declare that in addition to the media-hype of Osun’s parlous financial condition, I have firsthand experience which constitutes evidence of the unfortunate situation in which Osun currently finds itself. Even Mr Governor has admitted publicly the fact that Osun is in financial quagmire and that he is clueless on how to pull it out of the doldrums,” the petition read in part.

“Mr Governor’s argument that salaries can only be paid from statutory allocations is also faulty, we demand that he substantiate his claim by giving the section of the law that so provides. In any event, all funds, all allocations and all expenditures are expected to be backed by legislation, and are statutory, otherwise, they are illegal.

“Consequently, the admitted inability of Mr Governor and his deputy to pay pensions, salaries and allowances for periods ranging from eight to 11 months now, as a consequence of their own decision to accumulate debts beyond the capacity of the state internally generated revenue, whilst the very ‘actors’ Mr Governor and his deputy continue to enjoy their security allowances in hundreds of millions, is a violation of their oaths of office.”

Senate Sets Up Committee To Review Members’ Salaries, Allowances

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Senate has set up a committee to review the salaries and allowances of lawmakers. This was revealed Tuesday by the Senate president, Bukola Saraki.

He said the Adhoc committee was set up to reassess the structure, and review the level of openness, of members’ pay to ensure that the budget is in line with current economic realities.

Mr. Saraki said the step was taken due to controversies in the media on the allowances and salaries of the lawmakers. “In the last few days, there have been different reports on allowances for the National Assembly members,” he said.

“I reckon it to be false and reckless which has prompted the need to stir up transparency in allowances to avoid misinformation,” he said.

He said it was due to the same reason that he met with the officials of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

He stated that it was to ensure that the country gets an accurate presentation on the true state of all salaries and allowances.

He also announced the immediate composition of an 18-man Senate adhoc committee comprising of three senators for each geopolitical zones to develop a legislative agenda for the 8th Senate within the next couple of weeks.

“The task before us is enormous and Nigerians voted for change and we hope that we deliver to them tangible change,” Mr. Saraki said.

“The clear issues that agitate the minds of the people are the government revenues, the current fiscal crisis in many of our states, the unsustainable cost of governance in the country and the rising cost of doing business in Nigeria.

“This concerns have also agitated our minds individually and collectively and we must provide answers because it can no longer be business as usual.”

He added that the Senate either buckles up and face the realities to forge ahead to ensure a better future for the next generation or turn a blind eye to the extravagant facts that are staring us in the face.”

“Without doing so, we will not have the authority to ensure transparency in ministry and others for public good,” said Mr. Saraki.

Read More: premiumtimesng

It Is Extremely Painful That I Cannot Pay Salaries – Governor Aregbesola

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola has expressed his sadness and pain over his inability to pay his workers their monthly salaries for about seven months now.

While delivering a Ramadan Lecture at the Women Development Centre, Abuja yesterday June 22nd, Aregbesola said his administration borrowed N25billion from banks to support the federal allocations to pay salaries but that the banks have since stopped lending the state money.

“It is extremely painful that I cannot pay salary. It is painful that I have to be in this condition. I am not helpless because I have Allah and the people with me. And whoever has Allah and the people has everything. I didn’t envisage that 400,000 barrels of crude oil would be stolen daily. But the whipping boys must be the governors and I am the ‘Chief’ of the whipping boys,” he said.

He added that the state’s wage bill was N3.5 billion monthly and that his administration has found it difficult to pay due to the dwindling allocation in spite of increase in the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N900 million to N8 billion annually.

Benue To Borrow N10bn For Salaries, Projects

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Benue House of Assembly on Thursday approved the request of the state’s executive arm to borrow N10 billion. The House gave the approval in Makurdi during a plenary session.

The letter, seeking the approval of the House to borrow the amount, was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Targema Takema. The letter said that the governor of the state, Samuel Ortom, inherited an empty treasury.

Reading the letter, the Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, said that reliable information from the state Ministry of Finance indicated that the state treasury was empty. Mr. Ikyange said that the state workers were owed five months salaries.

He said that many state-owned agencies were on strike thereby grounding government activities as a result of non-payment of salaries.

Credit: PremiumTimes

CBN Explains Why States Can’t Pay Salaries

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The dwindling resources of states and local governments suffered a 30.6 per cent fall from federation account allocation in April 2015 when compared with what the states got in the same period last year.

Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Economic Report for the month of April said that the total statutory allocation to the state governments stood at N153.45 billion in April 2015. This was 30.6 and 22.9 per cent below the 2014 monthly budget estimate and the level in the preceding month, respectively. The dwindling revenue of federal, state and local government is as a result of falling oil prices.

Giving insight into the poor financial status of states which depends on monthly federal allocation, the CBN report for April said: “The breakdown showed that at N119.27 billion or 77.7 per cent of the total, state governments’ receipt from the Federation Account was below both the 2014 monthly budget estimate and the level in the preceding month by 29.7 and 30.3 per cent, respectively.

“At N34.17 billion or 22.3 per cent of the total, receipts from the VAT Pool Account was below the monthly budget estimate by 33.4 per cent, but exceeded the level in the preceding month by 22.2 per cent. Total receipts by the local governments from the Federation Account and VAT Pool Account stood at N88.91 billion at end-April 2015.

“This was lower than both the budget estimate and the level in the preceding month by 33.8 and 19.7 per cent, respectively. Of this amount, receipts from the Federation Account were N64.99 billion (73.1 per cent of the total), while the VAT Pool Account accounted for N23.92 billion (26.9 per cent of the total).

“At N735.07 billion, estimated federally-collected revenue in April 2015, was lower than the monthly budget estimate by 9.8 per cent. It was, however, higher than the receipt in the preceding month by 35.8 per cent. The decline in estimated federally-collected revenue (gross) relative to the monthly budget estimate was attributable, largely, to the shortfall in receipts from oil revenue during the review month

Read More: vanguardngr

Before The End Of June, Workers Would Get Their Salaries- Aregbesola

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, said his government is set to pay workers outstanding salaries before the end of June. Aregbesola made the declaration in a statement issued in Osogbo on Sunday through his media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon.

Most workers are being owed seven months’ salaries. But the statement was silent on whether the governor would pay the backlog or he would pay part of the salaries.

The governor stated that he had a great dream for the state and that was why he was in a hurry to begin many programmes which had earned him applause even outside the country.

He futhered, “The dream has not gone awry and it is a clear vision that Osun must be on its feet, self-reliant and be a reference point in Nigeria. The race to ensure development within the first term of Aregbesola was informed by the fear of what is happening now.

“Aregbesola wanted an Osun State that is self-reliant. That Osun State, almost two decades after its creation, could not boast of tax-paying companies speak volume about the magnitude of the works that awaited the Aregbesola administration.

“But he did not shy away from this task of industrialisation. Within his first term, his government had caused investors to bring up companies, such as the Omoluabi Garment Factory, Osogbo and Adulawo/RLG Technology Company in Ilesa.

“Just last month, a leading telephone line company, Airtel, came to establish partnership with the Adulawo/RLG Company. These are aside the various agro-allied companies which have benefited from the growth schemes of the Aregbesola administration throughout the state.

“The government has also commenced aggressive drive for the development of the solid mineral sector with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with an Australian mining firm, Andalusia Mining Industry.

“It was in the same vein that the idea of an airport for aircraft maintenance was conceived.

“Only a lazy administration would accept the tag of Osun State as a ‘civil servant’ state as excuse for not developing initiatives for industrialisation.

“To accept that our state must continue to survive on the meagre inflow through what goes to the civil servants alone is to accept that we would continue to depend on external forces for our survival.” He ended

Credit: vanguardngr

Non-payment Of Workers’ Salaries: The Situation Is Beyond My Control – Aregbesola

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, Friday explained that the rapid shortfall in the federal allocation accruing to his state negatively affected his budget and led to his inability to pay workers’ salaries.

Speaking when he fielded questions from State House correspondents, shortly after he visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Defence House, Abuja, Aregbesola said no head of the family would like to see members of his family go hungry.

“But no matter how sad (I don’t want to use the word ‘depressed), no matter how unhappy I am, the truth is that I will not fail to say that it is a situation absolutely beyond my control.

“I led an administration in receipt of regular allocation in which I do my budget. Unfortunately, this allocation started falling in rapid form that totally disorganised my budget and any other arrangement.

“For those who want to be objective, Osun of November 2010 when I assumed office and Osun of today are not the same. People must give credit to the changes that we have brought about in Osun. The changes were not miracles, they were changes occasioned by application of resources.

“But with the unexpected and sharp decline in our revenue, we had dislocation. The result of that dislocation is this quite sad experience.

“Were it to be Osun alone, probably I would not have an excuse. I pray it does not continue. I am not sure if there will be any state that will actually escape from the biting effect of the absolute sharp drop which I call economic disaster that we are grappling with.

“Since my inauguration on November 27, 2010, I had made it a duty to pay salary on or before 25th of every month up until January 2014 when that became practically impossible.”

“I have been giving the same staff who today are, regrettably and painfully, not being paid annual bonus that we call 13th month salary. There was no demand for it. I just felt that workers must be encouraged, they must be inspired.

“I did that religiously and faithfully from 2010 to 2013. The development that led to this began precisely in July when we received the June allocation and it was short by 40 per cent.

“Since then, what we have been receiving from the Federation Account is less than the wages, personnel cost. It is far and not mildly less.

“We struggled with it till October 2014. By that time, there was nothing we could do. Add to it is that we could not even go to bank to borrow to pay the wages commitment.

“It is a sad development. I am struggling to reduce the pain as much as possible and I am almost at the end of the efforts I am making to ensure that by the end of this month, I will have enough to at least meet to a large extent the salary needs of the workers,” Aregbesola said.

Workers in Osun State are currently on strike after they endured working without pay for six months. The government has not paid them for seven months now.

Osun State Civil Servant Tries To Kill Himself Over Unpaid Salary

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Staff Reporter

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Mr. Ojo Owolabi, a senior civil servant in the Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State,tried to kill himself by drinking a large quantity of insecticide.

It was gathered that Owolabi tried to kill himself because his salary hadn’t been paid for the last 6 months, hence was unable to feed his family.
According to Punch, the incident which took place last Saturday caused panic in the neighborhood when the news spread that Owolabi had tried to commit suicide.

Owolabi, who is a sanitary officer at the council was receiving treatment at a hospital.

A source close to Owolabi said he became frustrated because he couldn’t take care of his family.

The source said: Baba Ibeji (Owolabi) drank herbicide. He was frustrated because he has been unable to feed himself and other members of his family. You are aware that the state government has not paid workers for some months now. I think he just lost hope and decided to take his life by drinking Gramoxone.

Members of his family rushed him to a hospital in Ile Ife, where he was admitted.

A factional Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Gambi Yusuf, said the unpaid salaries had caused the workers untold hardship. Yusuf said:

Anybody who is not paid for six months is a walking corpse. What do you expect him to eat? Even if the workers can fast, won’t they break their fast? How do you expect them to feed their children? The government of the day should be more serious about workers’ welfare. We are appealing to the government to pay workers because workers deserve their wages.”

Owolabi’s wife and children could not be reached for comment.

Punch.

APC Blasts Okonjo-Iweala For Absolving FG Over Unpaid Salaries

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, have fired back at the Minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for absolving the Federal Government of any culpability over the inability of some state governments to pay their workers’ salaries.

Imo State Governor and Chairman, APC Governors Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who spoke on behalf of the Progressives Governors noted that President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, must take responsibility for unpaid salaries and the poor state of Nigeria’s economy.

The governor, who spoke on Thursday through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemedo, argued that Okonjo-Iweala should not have shifted the blame since the complaint of the inability to pay salaries was also coming from some of the Peoples Democratic Party-controlled states.

Okorocha said, “God has begun to do something for Nigerians. The man, Buhari, who is coming in now, is a person who does not joke with discipline. When you talk about discipline, it is all-embracing. He will bring financial discipline into the system.

“By the time the man takes off, most of these things would be corrected. When the man at the helm of affairs is disciplined, invariably, other people must follow. Have you asked yourself the issue of the missing $20bn? All of a sudden, it was linked to somewhere. Nigeria is a rich country because God blessed this country. It will only take a strong leadership to get things moving.

“Buhari must set the ball rolling. Nigerians know why they voted for him. Even though he has said he will not probe anybody, but in the current situation we are, when it becomes necessary, with all these monies taken away by individuals, he should recover them for the country. If need be, he (Buhari) should put some of them on trial so that others will be very careful.

“A few Nigerians cannot be holding the entire nation to ransom. Whatever it takes to recover Nigeria’s money, it does not matter whose ox is gored; he should go ahead and do it. He must deviate from the old system for this country to move forward”.

Source – Daily post ng

We Are Borrowing Billions To Pay Salaries- Okonjo-Iweala

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Staff Reporter

In the face of dwindling oil revenues, Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the Federal Government has borrowed about N473billion to pay salaries and fund the 2015 budget.

The Minister, who was speaking in Abuja on the details of the N4.493trillion appropriation already passed by the National Assembly, said the federal government had to raise its borrowing level from N570 billion to N882 billion to enable it meet its financial obligations to workers and contractors.

The minister blamed it on the decline in oil revenue in late 2014, which accounted for 50 per cent cut in the total federally collectible revenue as well as the low revenue receipts from non-oil sources.

Despite past efforts to reduce government borrowing level, she said the acute cash flow problems forced government to take the decision to curb the negative impact of revenue crunch.

The Minister said about N380billion came from external sources, while the balance is for domestic borrowing.

“We have tried to work within the budget,” she said. “Last year, the borrowing came down to about N570 billion. But, this year, because of the very difficult cash flow situation, we have provided N882billion in borrowing.

“About N380billion of that is external borrowing and the balance of N502 billion is for domestic borrowing. All we have borrowed so far is N473billion, which is within the budget.”

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Nigeria Borrows Money To Pay Government Salaries- Aljazeera

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Africa’s biggest economy faces “revenue challenges” that have affected expenditure, finance minister says.

Africa’s richest economy is borrowing money to pay salaries as it struggles through a “difficult cash crunch” brought on by halved oil prices, Nigeria’s finance minister revealed.

The news comes as Nigeria prepares to welcome a new government at the end of this month and the country’s naira currency remains in a slump, hovering between 180 and 220 to the US dollar. It was trading at 160 a few months ago.

Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala tried to be upbeat in a speech on Tuesday after lawmakers approved the 2015 budget – revised three times because of slashed oil prices that provide 80 percent of revenue for the government of Africa’s biggest petroleum producer.

She said “revenue challenges” had prohibited the release of any funds for capital expenditure this year but that food prices and single-digit inflation remained quite stable. And she said the economy still was on course to grow 4.8 percent this year.

“We have front-loaded the borrowing program to manage the cash crunch,” Okonjo-Iweala told lawmakers.

“Out of the 882 billon naira budgetary provision for borrowing, the government has borrowed 473 billion naira to meet up with recurrent expenditure, including salaries and overheads.”

That is bad news for the incoming government of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, who takes over on May 29 from incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.

Buhari acknowledges that constricted revenue and endemic corruption threaten his will to deliver on development and reconstruction of areas devastated by a nearly 6-year-old rebel uprising in the northeast.

He says his fight against corruption should produce the money needed to bring change to a country where oil proceeds benefit a small clique while the majority of the 170 million people in Africa’s most populous nation live hand to mouth.

Critics blame the financial crisis in part on the most expensive election ever held in Nigeria, though no one knows how much politicians from both sides spent during their campaigns.

NLC Asks Governors To Pay Salaries Before May 29

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Staff Reporter

The Nigeria Labour Congress, has asked the state governors to pay outstanding salaries before the May 29 handover date. Factional Deputy President of the NLC, Peters Adeyemi, said this at the ninth National Delegates Conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria in Abuja.

Adeyemi said workers had commenced the campaign to prevail on the outgoing governors to pay outstanding salaries before they leave on May 29.

The National Administrative Council of the NLC had on March 19, 2015 set up a committee saddled with the responsibility of compelling state governments to pay over eight months salary arrears owed workers.

Last week, the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, himself a former President of the NLC, had urged labour to unite and compel state governors owing workers’ salaries to pay before the May 29 handover date. The congress had on December 31, 2014, said 11 states owed workers their salaries.

Read More: Punch

Benue Must Borrow To Pay Salaries – Gov Suswam

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Staff Reporter

Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam yesterday said the state is left with no option than to borrow money to clear the salary arrears owed workers in the agrarian state.

The governor, however, condemned in strong terms the politicisation of the issue of non-payment of salaries by the opposition, saying their campaign is not issues-based but mere propaganda and cheap blackmail.

Suswam who stated this at Adikpo in Kwande local government area of the state said his administration would not be indebted to workers by the end of his tenure. He said the non-payment of salaries is a national problem propelled by the global economic crunch.

Wondering why the opposition APC would not base their local government campaigns on development-driven issues, Suswam said such unguarded utterances are targetted at smearing the image of his administration and advised the party to consider modern democratic tenets.

Read More: leadership.ng