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Tag: allowances

  • Govt agrees to pay varsity teachers N23b allowances

    Govt agrees to pay varsity teachers N23b allowances

    UNIVERSITY teachers won a major battle yesterday.

    The Federal Government granted their request that their N23billion outstanding Earned Allowances be released.

    The money will be released next week, Minister of Education Adamu Adamu said.

    The government said the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company matter  would be resolved with the Pension Commission in the next one week.

    But he reiterated the refusal of the governemt to exempt the federal universities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system

    Adamu gave an insight into the negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND).

    The minister said the Ministry of Finance had promised to undertake a forensic audit of the N30billion allowance earlier released to the lecturers, bringing the total to N53billion.

    Adamu said: “They (lecturers) asked for N23billion to be paid. But we said the condition for that N23billion to be released was for them to account for the N30billion they had taken, which is a total of N53billion. And they were not able to account for it.

    “The Minister of Finance undertook to do the audit from the ministry. We agreed that the result will be known in six months. During the six months, government undertook to be paying them N1.5billion each month during the time they are waiting for this.”

    The minister added that the Ministry of Finance had already approved the release of the funds but not yet cash backed.

    “Probably by Monday, they will be able to receive the cheque. And we will do forensic audit on the entire N53billion,” Adamu said

     ASUUdeclared an indefinite strike last weekend over Federal Government’s failure to fulfill the 2009/2013 agreement with the union.

    The issues in the agreement are: funding for the revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company, university staff school, fictionalisation and non-payment of salaries among others.

    On the TSA exemption request, he said:”There are other issues which we didn’t agree. And that was their request to be taken out of TSA. I told them that it is not possible because this is a new policy and government is not going to change it for anyone.”

    On the non-payment of salaries, Adamu attributed it to the decision of federal universities to illegally recruit staff without recourse to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

    The situation, he said, had partially affected the government’s effort to eliminate thousands of ghost workers through thorough personnel verification and salary payment process.

    Adamu said: “For instance, a university can just decide to recruit 50 people. And IPPIS is not aware. So, what they are going to get is they are going to get the money they got last month. And it will not be sufficient for them. They normally spread it among the entire staff. Let’s say they pay 70 per cent to 80 per cent but that is their fault. So, institutions, we said, must now stop doing that. And they accepted.”

    The chairman of the committee, Jibrin Barau, expressed confidence that the minister would resolve the issues with the striking lecturers as soon as possible.

    Barau pleaded with the lecturers to call off the strike while negotiation continues.

    After a one hour meeting between the government team and the ASUU delegation, both parties agreed to return to the negotiation table next week.

    Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige and ASUU President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi led the delagations.

    Ngige said the government was desirous of a quick resolution of the dispute to allow students return to school.

    He said: “The meeting was not very long and we touched on the various issues. Within the last 48 hours, government has worked through the Minister of Education, Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation and we have communicated to ASUU the government position for them to take back to their members.

    “The major issue is that we want the strike called off so that our children in school can write their degree and promotion exams. ASUU graciously said they would come back to us on a date within the next one week. It will not be later than one week so that we then take it from there.”

    The government was desirous of resolving the dispute without apportioning blame, Ngige said, pointing out that if the government resorted to apportioning blames, the issues will not be resolved.

    The minister insisted that the leadership of ASUU did not give the government the mandatory notice as required by Labour laws, a position which the ASUU leadership disagreed with, saying to them, the strike was a continuation of an action that was earlier suspended.

    The minister was also not happy with officials of the Federal Ministry of Education who he said did not recognise the constitutional role of the ministry as the only body legally allowed to carry out reconciliation between employers and employees.

    He said the terms of agreement between the union and the ministry as contained in the Collective Bargaining agreement was supposed to have been deposited with the Ministry of Labour to enable it monitor the implementation.

    ASUU President Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said the “government has made some offers on the issues we have raised and we have taken copious note of their offers and we have to get back to our members and make all the information available for them to consider and advise us and, based on their position, we will come back to government hopefully within the next one week.”

    Asked what the offers made by the government are, Ogunyemi said: “I am sorry that I can’t go into discussing specifics. The offers are for our members and when we meet with them, we will come back and unveil all the issues as agreed on.”

    On whether the strike; will be called off before then, he said “the leadership of the union did not call the strike, our members called the strike and they will decide when to suspend the strike. So, when our members decide otherwise, it will be off.”

     Ogunyemi, who led a five-man team, including a former ASUU President, Dr. Dipo Fashina, disagreed with the Minister’s claim that the union did not adequately inform the ministry before the strike.

    He said “I want to clear this allegation that ASUU kept the relevant ministries, departments and agencies in the dark before proceeding on this action. You will recall that when we came here two days ago, we drew your attention to a letter dated July 10 and it was while we were here that you confirmed that you were seeing that letter for the first time.

    “Between July 10 and now, I don’t think it is one day. In the last 10 months or so, we have written five letters and have tried to reach out to the relevant stakeholders since we suspended our action last November.

    “One other issue I want to clear is about the Babalakin committee. What we had at the end of our discussion last November were areas that are actionable and we left that place with the impression that there will be follow-up. ”

    “We appreciate what has been done since we started this action and we are here again to see what we can get . In summary, we want to take information from here to our members who are our principals. So, we are open to your suggestions.”

  • FG to release N10bn for arrears of civil servants’ salaries, allowances

    FG to release N10bn for arrears of civil servants’ salaries, allowances

    Federal civil servants may soon have cause to smile as the Federal Government has assured that it will soon release the sum of N10 billion for the settlement of unpaid salary arrears and allowances of public servants in the country.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, gave the assurance after a meeting with the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita.

    Ngige said the meeting was part of the efforts of the Federal Government to clear all arrears such as outstanding allowances on promotion, twenty-eight days relocation, repatriation, training, burial expenses and death benefits to public servants.

    He said that government’s decision was anchored on a clear understanding that clearing these arrears forms part of the palliative measures being taken to cushion the harsh economic realities on public servants.

    He said further that the meeting was in furtherance to the directive of the Federal Executive Council held on May 24, 2017, adding that since the Federal Executive Council decision, the office of the Accountant General of the Federation was already processing the sum of N10 billion for the payment of promotion arrears with modalities for payment being worked out to make sure that wrong persons are not paid this first olive-waving step of the Federal Government.

    He also said that a disbursement of the sum of N14.6 billion had earlier been done in early 2017 to take care of the salary arrears arising from the shortfalls in the 2016 budget.

    Also in today’s meeting were the Director General of the Budget Office, Mr. Ben Akabuze; Mrs. Batagarawa, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of Head of Service who represented Mrs. Oyo-Ita; and the representative of the Minister of Finance

    The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria had earlier issued a 14-day strike notice on the Federal Government over the issue. The ultimatum ended on May 30, 2017.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment has been engaged in marathon meetings with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress led by its President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and the Nigerian Labour Congress led by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in the last one week on the issue.

  • I signed only allowances for Nyame, says witness

    I signed only allowances for Nyame, says witness

    A defence witness, Philip Akolo, orderly to former Taraba State Governor Jolly Nyame, yesterday told an FCT High Court in Gudu, Abuja, that he signed only allowances on behalf of the former governor.

    He spoke during the continuation of cross examination by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).

    According to him, he was the closest to Nyame and was always with him, saying that apart from allowances, he never signed for any other money on behalf of the ex-governor.

    Akolo denied knowledge of the purchase of equipment, grains, materials or any other thing throughout the eight years he was with Nyame.

    He said he neither collected money for the purchase of security equipment nor was he privy to any approval made by Nyame for any purchase.

    “I don’t know anything about the disbursement of any money for the purchase of anything,” Akolo said.

    He confirmed that in 2006, he travelled with Nyame to Abuja every month, but he didn’t deal with money, saying he could remember 65 per cent of happenings in the Taraba government during Nyame’s tenure between 1999 and 2007.

    Akolo, said he could not remember anything that happened on the specific dates of July 3, 2005; April 11 and 12 2007.

    Nyame is facing trial on a 41-count charge of misappropriation of N1.64 billion state fund. Justice Adebukola Banjoko adjourned the case till today for continuation of defence.

     

  • Ex-militants decry non-payment of allowances

    ‘From all indications, our ordeal is not unconnected with our refusal to support his preferred governorship candidate in the last election in Ondo State, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN). Since the election, Ajube has threatened to deal with all those who worked for the APC candidate and now Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu’

    Some ex-militants from Bolowou community in Ese-Edo Local Government Area of Ondo State have raised the alarm over non-payment of their N65, 000 monthly amnesty stipends.
    The affected ex-militants, numbering 25, said they became worried when they were not paid alongside other beneficiaries of the scheme in the council who had received alerts on their bank accounts.
    They alleged that they were being victimised due to their decision to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) during last year’s governorship election.
    Ese-Odo has always been a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but the APC was victorious in the council during the last gubernatorial polls.
    They also alleged that the former Western Fringe Commander of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Mr Bibopere Ajube, alias General Shoot at Sight, is the mastermind of the stoppage of their allowances.
    A statement jointly signed by two of the ex-militants, Jamin Wariebi and Lubi Timiakirimni said Ajube was punishing them over their refusalý to support the governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.
    They, therefore, threatened to embark on a peaceful protest at Bolowou if their allowances remained unpaid.
    The statement reads: ‘’We are worried and constrained to alert the nation that a former MEND commander, Bibopere Ajube, aka General Shoot at Sight, has stopped the payment of our N65,000 monthly stipends with the collaborating of the programme’s coordinator, Brigadier- General Paul Boroh (rtd).
    ‘’All other beneficiaries of the programme have been paid, but to our surprise, ours was not and we were informed by competent sources at the Amnesty Office that Ajube went to the coordinator to delist us from the programme and has already replaced us with persons who were not even captured in the programme.
    ‘’From all indications, our ordeal is not unconnected with our refusal to support his preferred governorship candidate in the last election in Ondo State, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).
    ”Since the election, Ajube has threatened to deal with all those who worked for the APC candidate and now Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.”
    But when contacted, Ajube confirmed the allegation, saying he has given their slots to those who were genuine ex-militants.
    He warned them to stop linking their ordeal with the last governorship election in Ondo State, insisting that they will never benefit from the scheme again because they are not ex-militants.
    He noted that the 25 people involved lied by claiming that they worked for the APC during the last governorship election because they were loyalists of Chief Olusola Oke of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).
    He said: “I have been sincere to my people on this issue of Amnesty and that is why I always directed the Amnesty office to pay directly into the boys’ accounts unlike my colleagues, who would ask the office to pay into their accounts and later share the money to their boys.
    “We will ensure that only those genuine ex-militants will continue to benefit from the scheme.”

  • Kano promises prompt payment of foreign students’ allowances

    Kano promises prompt payment of foreign students’ allowances

    Kano State Government has announced a new design meant to ensure prompt payment of the up-keep of her sponsored students in foreign institutions.

    Deputy Governor, Prof.- Hafiz Abubakar, who announced this to reporters, said a powerful delegation under his office has already visited Turkey and Cyprus to meet with the students and their respective schools management in an effort to improve their studies.

    Hafiz stated that Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is taking measures to ensure that students at Near East University in Cyprus enjoy all the necessary support they may require to enable them complete their academic programmes.

    He said: “We will try as much as possible to resume the payment of their (foreign students) upkeep allowances. We will pay more attention because our financial situation is now improving and more importantly, the reforms that we had set in place for internal revenue generation has started yielding results.”

    He disclosed that the administration had recruited over 762 graduates in the state internal revenue service as part of the measures taken to boost internal revenue generation.

    On the issue of health insurance, Hafiz said the delegation had discussed the matter with university management, adding that henceforth, the school should offer any tertiary demand on health to the students and forward the bill to the government for settlement.

    He urged the students to concentrate on their studies, be good ambassadors of their parents, the state and Nigeria.

    Earlier, the President Association of Kano Students at Near East University Umar Aliyu Shu`aibu, praised Kano administration for honoring some students from Kano who acquired good CGPA (cumulate grade point average) during the last semester.

    He called on the government to intervene in their health insurance, adding that that remains one of the vital areas the school authority needs to review.

  • Prompt payment of salaries, allowances of pensioners must continue, says Amosun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has pledged the prompt payment of public servants’ entitlements, despite the recession.

    Amosun, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Taiwo Adeoluwa, spoke at the decoration of 289 newly promoted officers of Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) in Abeokuta, the state capital.

    He said he had been working tirelessly to ensure that the salaries and allowances of public officers, including the pensioners, were paid on time.

    The governor urged the TRACE officers to reciprocate the gesture by being dedicated to their work, adding that this is their reward for hard work and that they should ensure that TRACE became a reference in traffic management in the country.

    He urged them to be committed, loyal, honest and cultivate good attitude towards road users, enjoining them to be polite with the public in enforcing the traffic laws.

    Amosun urged the officers to see their new ranks as a call to higher responsibilities and more dedication to their duties.

    The newly decorated officers include the Corp’s Assistant Director, Road Traffic Sola Bamidele, now the Deputy Director, Road Traffic. Those promoted from the rank of Senior Road Traffic Superintendent Officers to Principal Road Superintendent Officers were: Adekunle Ajibade,  Omotayo Rinaye, Ebunoluwa Akinkunmi, Deji Daudu,  Morolake Filani and Sonde Olubori.

    Congratulating the officers, the Corps Commander/Chief Executive ‘Seni Ogunyemi, urged the officers to see their promotion as a reward for excellent performance, service and responsibility.

    He said the corps has 585 staff of which 289; 169 officers, 120 junior cadre and nine operatives who have upgraded through the Inter-Cadre Transfer Window are decorated with their new ranks.

    Commander Ogunyemi thanked Amosun for approving the result of the 2015 promotion in spite of dwindling resources, especially from the Federation Account.

    The TRACE Commander thanked the government for providing three hectares of land for the construction of the Corps Headquarters and training facilities. He hailed the state Deputy Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly Olakunle Oluomo for facilitating the donation of a space in Ifo Local Government premises for the construction of Ifo Divisional Command’s Office.  The office was inaugurated at the event.

    Responding on behalf of the promoted officers, Commander Ajibade thanked the government for approving the promotions and the TRACE management for making their welfare a priority. He expressed appreciation to the management for creating good operatives atmosphere. He said the promotion signified motivation for them to continue to contribute their best to the development of the Corps and the state.

  • Minister assures military retirees of prompt payment of allowances

    Minister assures military retirees of prompt payment of allowances

    Minister of Defence Mansur Dan-Ali has assured that the allowances of legionnaires will continued to be paid promptly by government as part of efforts to ensure their welfare.

    Dan-Ali gave the assurance yesterday in an interview with reporters after the ceremony to commemorate the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    He said the need to promptly pay them informed the introduction of identity cards for military retirees in 2016, adding that their allowances had been improved upon.

    He encouraged the troops in the frontline in the Northeast to continue to give their best.

    Also, in an interview, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, hailed the troops for doing their best for the nation.

    “I will use this opportunity to commend our troops in the various operations, both the one within Nigeria and outside of Nigeria.

    “They have been doing creditably well and we appreciate their contributions to peace both within and outside.

    “I enjoin them to continue to do more, to be more professional, to be more diligent and also, to be more hard working in all their duty posts,’’ he said.

    The chairperson of widows of fallen heroes, Mrs. Veronica Aluko, hailed the armed forces for taking care of families of officers and men who had paid the supreme sacrifice in defence of the nation.

    “The armed forces have done a lot; they have even recognised us and given us a name,’’ she said but appealed for empowerment of widows through skills acquisition.

    Chairman of the Nigerian Legion Col. Micah Gaya (rtd) urged government not to relent in supporting the legion so that they could in turn assist dependents of fallen heroes.

    “The fact of the matter is that we know that this day is celebrated every year.

    “But what we are looking forward to is the improvement that will follow, in terms of being able to help the widows, the dependents of the fallen heroes, not just the ceremonial part of it.

    “That is why I will appeal to government to assist the Nigerian Legion so that we will be able to meet with our constitutional responsibilities of taking care of the dependents of the fallen heroes,’’ Gaya said.

  • FG introduces automated payment of salaries, allowances

    FG introduces automated payment of salaries, allowances

    The federal government is alarmed that it is spending N165 billion every month on salaries and allowances of workers across the country.

    To find a way of reducing the huge wage bill, President Muhammdu Buhari has directed the compulsory automation of payment of workers’ salaries and allowances as a means of reducing the cost of governance.

    Speaking when serving Chiefs under the federal ministry of interior came to the ministry of finance to plug into the payment automation exercise, the minister of finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun said President Muhammadu Buhari wants everybody to be on the automated payment system which will lead to improvement in financial control and transparency.

    Adeosun then lamented that the government spends N165 billion every month on payment of salaries and allowances a development which has now made it necessary to automate this payments.

    With regards to capturing the biometric details of members of the military and other security agencies, the finance minister disclosed that the military has been asked to design a road map for securing their information and assured other security agencies that their security dates will be adequately protected.

    Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, federal ministry of interior Mr. Bassey Akpanyung said the presidential directive to automate the payment systems to enable government know who is being paid and the number of personnel in its services to help determine if any services requires more men or is over staffed.

    The Ministry of Finance’s Director of Special Projects, who is in charge of the continuous audit exercise, Mr. Mohammed Dikwa said the essences of the automation of the payment is that there is need to look carefully to make sure that all those areas of leakages are blocked, “and we have come up with a plan to implement this programme.”

    Dikwa also revealed that “as at today, since we started the continuous audit programme, we have saved about N50 billion and over 43,000 ghost workers have been removed from the payroll of the federal government.”

     

  • Army explains reasons for non-payment of soldiers’ allowances

    Army explains reasons for non-payment of soldiers’ allowances

    The Nigerian Army has explained the reasons behind the non-payment of allowances to soldiers, which is said to be affecting the fight against insurgence in the North East.

    The Army Acting Director of Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, said: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to inform the public that the issue of non-payment of peacekeeping operations allowance is a minor internal military administrative matter which was treated and resolved accordingly and has no bearing on the fight against terrorism and insurgency as they mischievously alleged.

    “It should be reiterated that the alleged non-payment of operations allowance to the returnee peacekeepers was due to administrative hitches which was solved to the point that all outstanding peacekeeping operations allowances have been paid and the last batch payment was done last Tuesday.”

    Continuing, the spokesman said: “As regards the payment of operations allowances, it is borne out of deliberate mischief and failure to comply with the new measures aimed at ensuring probity and accountability in the service. All officers and soldiers are now paid their operations allowances through their bank accounts. All those who did not receive theirs failed to comply with the directive of giving correct account details or they were not paid as a result of the duplication of names due to recent postings.”   Usman said the majority of the troops have been receiving their allowances regularly. “The very few indisciplined ones cannot be used to distract us, neither should they be used as yardstick to measure troop general wellbeing and performance. Already issues relating to troop welfare have been of utmost priority to Mr President, and the Army leadership is doing everything possible to ensure troops’ high morale” he said.

  • Fayose rewards teacher who returned N101,000 

    • Gives job to husband

    A school teacher, Mrs. Ayodele Grace,on Wednesday returned to the coffers of Ekiti State Government, the sum of N101,000 wrongly paid to her, as rural and core subject allowance.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Grace, who teaches in Ikere-Ekiti, was wrongly credited with the money meant for those teaching in rural schools and those taking core subjects in public secondary schools.

    According to a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Grace sent a text message to the governor when she got the alert from her bank, and told the governor she was not entitled to the allowance.

    The elated Fayose, who thereafter hosted Grace and her husband in his office as mark of appreciation, was said to have told the teacher that he was surprised at her level of honesty.

    “After the first text message, she sent me another reminder that the money was still in her account and that she did not know how to get it returned to government’s coffers.

    “I decided to call her ‎to thank her for her honest act; I promised to reward her with N50,000, but I was again surprised when she said she would not take the monetary reward.

    “I asked her what she wanted and she said her husband was unemployed and would not mind if I could assist in that area.

    “This is the virtue of a good woman and wife. I decided then that her husband will be given employment by the state government.

    “This woman should be celebrated. The other time some teachers were accused of using their students as child labourers, we cried out, so when a teacher has done something commendable too we must let the world know that,” Fayose was quoted as saying.

    According to the statement, the state’s Head of Service was immediately mandated by the governor to perfect the employment papers of Grace’s husband.

    “He has been given employment by the state government with immediate effect.

    “I am using this medium to call on other teachers, who might have‎ been wrongly credited with allowances, to come out and return same to the government.’