The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Agatha Goma

  • Bayelsa commissioner dies

    THE Baylesa State Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Mrs. Agatha Goma, has died.

    Family sources said the commissioner, who buried her husband early in the year, died in her sleep.

    Mrs. Goma (55) was appointed a commissioner in 2016 by Governor Seriake Dickson.

    A certain Victoria, who announced Mrs. Goma’s death on a social platform, said: “We heard this evening that one of our mothers in Bayelsa State, Mrs. Agatha Goma, has gone to be with the Lord. She was in the State Assembly and until her demise, was the Commissioner for Local Government Administration.

    “This is a very sad day for us all. This message was sent after confirmation from her aides and relatives.”

     

  • Bayelsa urges LG workers to end strike, pledges to clear salary arrears

    Bayelsa urges LG workers to end strike, pledges to clear salary arrears

    The Bayelsa Government has pledged to settle the 14-months salary arrears it owed local government workers currently on strike in the state.

    The government, however, appealed to the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to suspend the ongoing strike by its members.

    The state Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Dr. Agatha Goma, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Tuesday.

    He said that ending the strike was necessary in view of steps taken by the government to address the workers grievances.

    “The labour leaders have made their point and government has heard them loud and clear,’’ she said.

    Goma explained that the authorities of the councils were working with the government to facilitate the payment.

    She said that NULGE’s stance on accountability, probity and transparency in the handling of the finances of the councils in the state reinforced the position of government.

    NAN reports that NULGE had in a statement on Aug. 7, backed local government autonomy in the ongoing constitutional review and lauded the state government for not touching local councils’ Federal allocations.

    Goma noted that the union was on the same page with the state government on the accumulated salary arrears owed its members.

    According to her, the arrears accumulated not because of mismanagement or deliberate ploy to punish workers, but due to drastic reduction in the councils’ allocation.

    The commissioner explained that increment in the allocation to the councils for the month of July gave the government leverage to pay up to three months salary arrears.

    Goma said that government had demonstrated commitment at ensuring that all agreements reached with NULGE were implemented.

    She said that such commitment was demonstrated when the government used part of its Paris Club refund to pay workers salary.

    The commissioner, also spoke on delay in the payment of primary school teachers in Ogbia Local Government, saying the affected teachers will receive their salaries before the end of the week.

    She also said that the government remained committed to ensuring adequate security in the state to boost economic activities.

    “But for the investment in security, we could not have witnessed the relative peace we now enjoy, which has created a friendly environment for oil exploration.”

    Goma urged NULGE to work with the local councils to resolve issues of indiscipline, ghost workers and over blotted wage bill.

  • Bayelsa denies owing LG workers 16 months’ salary arrears

    Bayelsa denies owing LG workers 16 months’ salary arrears

    The Bayelsa Government said on Thursday in Yenagoa that it was not owing council workers 16 months’ salary arrears as claimed by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

    NULGE had in a statement issued on Monday listed Bayelsa and Kogi as states with the highest level of indebtedness to council workers.

    Its National President, Mr. Ibrahim Khaleel, alleged that Bayelsa owed between 10 and 16 months while Kogi owed between seven and 15 months to lead the list of 23 states owing salaries.

    Dr. Agatha Goma, Bayelsa Commissioner of Local Government Administration, in a statement described NULGE’s claims as false and misleading.

    Goma said that the indebtedness to council workers in Bayelsa stood at nine and half months.

    “The claim is not true. The local government councils in the state owe nine and half months’ salary with the exception of Ogbia Local Government Council, whose debt is 10 and half months in salary arrears.

    “This regrettable situation is not deliberate as no responsible government will intentionally deny its workforce their legitimate rights to salary as at when due.

    “The failure of local government councils to meet their financial obligations arose principally because of the unexpected economic recession.
    “The recession has greatly affected the economic fortune of the country as well as the monthly allocation to the local government coffers and indeed all tiers of government,” Goma said.

    The commissioner said that the government was in a dilemma of whether to `right-size’ the workforce or continue to manage the situation until there was an improvement.

    “As a responsible government that is conscious of its social responsibility, rather than throwing people into the employment market, the state government will continue to seek workable avenue to ameliorate the delicate situation.

    “The local government component of the Paris Club loan refund also came handy in effort at assisting the councils to meet their obligation.

    “The state government has also provided financial support to help out the councils pay the arrears of salary,” Goma said.

    She said that the government remained committed to ensuring that the outstanding salaries were offset, adding that various memoranda have been signed with relevant unions on payment of all pending arrears.

     

  • Bayelsa govt. moves to avert primary school teachers strike

    Bayelsa govt. moves to avert primary school teachers strike

    The payment of April salary for primary school teachers in Bayelsa has averted a planned three-day warning strike by teachers in the state.

    The state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) had planned to proceed on a warning strike to press for payment of up to seven months’ salary arrears.

    Dr Agatha Goma, Bayelsa Commissioner for Local Government Administration, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Sunday that the ministry had met with the teachers union to avert the strike.

    Goma commended the primary school teachers for their patience and assured that the state government would implement all agreements reached with their union.

    She attributed the delay in the payment of the salaries to paucity of funds due to dwindling revenue as a result of economic downturn.

    The commissioner explained that the local government share of the Paris Club refunds was deployed to the payment of salaries of primary school teachers.

    According to her, as part of government demonstration of good faith, local council workers are now getting full salary as against half salaries paid last year.

    The commissioner said the state government would continue to work with the local authorities to find permanent solution to the lingering financial crisis in the councils.

    Goma said government was aware of the critical roles of teachers in the ongoing educational revolution in the state and would not toy with their welfare.

    “Teachers welfare is pivotal to Gov. Seriake Dickson’s revolution in the education sector. There is no deliberate effort to undermine teachers’ welfare.

    “The issues of half salary in 2016 and delays in payment arose because of the recession in the Nigerian economy.

    “But the teachers should be assured that government is concerned about their welfare and everything is being done to find a permanent solution to this challenge,” Goma said.

     

  • How LGs shared N1.3bn Paris Club refund in Bayelsa – Commissioner

    Dr Agatha Goma, Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Bayelsa, said the eight local government areas in the state shared N1.3 billion from the N14.5 billion Paris Club refund remitted to the state by the Federal Government.

    She gave the figures in a news conference on Monday, noting that the councils deployed the fund which was the first tranche of the Paris Club fund to clear salary backlogs in the eight local governments.

    She, however, said that the fund was not sufficient to clear the entire backlog as various councils have varying wage bills even as their fund receipts and revenue earnings varied.

    According to her, the breakdown of the sharing shows the following — Brass Local Government; N158.5 million, Ekeremor Local Government; N182.2 million, Kolokuma/Opokuma; N122.6 million and Ogbia; N157.9 million.

    Others are Sagbama; N155.4 million, Nembe; N147.9 million, Southern Ijaw; N209.4 million and Yenagoa; N199.1 million.

    “It is important to restate that what the councils in Bayelsa are facing is as a result of the recession which has taken its toll on the revenue accruable to all tiers of government, nobody tampers with council funds in Bayelsa.

    “Even though we run a unified local government system, the same amount that accrues to the local governments is what is remitted to them and they are financially autonomous.

    “The local government component of both the bailout funds from the Federal Government and the Paris Club refunds were remitted to the eight local governments and they were judiciously used,’’ Goma said.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had on March 23 approved the disbursement of the second tranche of the Paris Club loan refunds to states that had disbursed the first tranche to local governments.

    Accountability of the disbursement of the first tranche is a prerequisite for states to benefit from the second tranche of the disbursement.

    Mr Ebiango Egain, Secretary, Bayelsa chapter of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria said at the news conference that the local governments shared the N1.3 billion and deployed same to clear outstanding salaries.

    He commended Gov. Seriake Dickson of the state for ensuring that council funds were released to the local government as received from the Federal Government.