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Tag: salary arrears

  • Ondo Workers hail Akeredolu over payment of salary arrears

    Ondo Workers hail Akeredolu over payment of salary arrears

    Public servants in Ondo State have commended  the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu(SAN), for matching his words with action in the payment of salary arrears owed by his predecessor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.

    The workers said the part- payment of their seven month salary arrears by Akeredolu was a testimony that he is the governor of the masses.

    Some of the workers, who spoke to reporters at the popular Erekesan Market in Akure yesterday said that the payment relieved them  the agony they had suffered for months over the non-payment of their entitlements by the immediate past government in the state.

    One of them, who identified herself as Mrs. Ajoke Fafunmi, said that the payment of the salary had fully returned the long-lost smile to her face.

    Fafunmi explained that with the payment of the money, she had been able to pay her debts and meet other domestic needs.

    Another civil servant in the state, Julius Olutoye, shared similar experience.

    According to the Grade 7 worker, this year’s Easter celebration would have been boring but for Akeredolu’s determination to fulfill his promise of prioritizing workers’ welfare.

    Olutoye said he began to have confidence in Akeredolu in March when the governor  paid two months salaries to civil servants, adding that the governor’s latest move deserved commendation.

    Besides, the civil servants who praised Akeredolu for paying part of the salary arrears, market women  also commended the governor.

    The market women said Akeredolu’s commitment to the fulfillment of his promise had boosted their economic activities.

    A yam seller, Alhaja Abeni Agbajelola, and a trader in food stuff, Mrs. Funmilola Johnson, were full of praises for the governor.

    According to them,life naturally returned to their respective businesses immediately the announcement for the payment of the salary was made.

    It would be recalled that Akeredolu directed that one month of the arrears he inherited from the immediate past government should be paid to enable civil servants in the state to enjoy the Easter celebration.

  • One month salary arrears for Ondo workers

    One month salary arrears for Ondo workers

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has directed that the state’s civil servants be paid the salary arrear owed them, starting with last August.
    The governor, who gave the directive yesterday, said the civil servants must be paid the one month’s salary before Easter.
    He said: “We know that our people are suffering. I have decided that there is need to put smiles on their faces. Therefore, I have decided that civil servants in the state should be paid their salary for August before Easter.”
    The last administration left salary arrears of six months, between August 2016 and January 2017.

  • Bayelsa, workers disagree on salary arrears

    Bayelsa, workers disagree on salary arrears

    Bayelsa State government and its workforce have disagreed on the salary arrears owed civil servants.
    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that workers claimed they were owed six-month salaries, while government officials put the arrears at three months.
    The House of Assembly last Tuesday at a closed session approved N3billion loan request by the executive to buy cars for lawmakers and security agents.
    The development attracted criticisms from civil servants, who said seeking a loan to purchase cars at a time the government owed workers six-month salary was insensitive.
    Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seriake Dickson Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson denied in a statement the government was owing workers six months.
    He said it was owing workers only three-month salaries.
    The statement restated governor’s commitment to run a transparent system where workers’ and citizens’ welfare would be prioritised.
    “It’s not true the government is owing six-month salary as alleged in media reports.
    “Rather, it is making efforts to clear outstanding salaries and has even paid January salary,” Iworiso-Markson said.
    Labour leaders and civil servants insisted the government was yet to clear six- month salary arrears.
    The Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Tari Dounana and his Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) counterpart, John Ndiomu, insisted the government owed six-month salaries.
    He said: “The facts are there. We cannot lie on issues like this. I can be quoted.
    “Workers are owed six-month salary and we met the government last week.
    “It is likely those claiming we are not owed don’t have the details. We met the government finance team and they set up a committee to work out the payment plan.”
    A civil servant, Ebi Douye, spoke on the salary situation.
    Said he: “We are owed six-month salary. We keep the record. January 2015 salary was paid in full in April 2015. February and March 2015 salaries were not paid.
    “From April to September, half salaries were paid. December salary has not been paid.
    “Three full salaries are not paid, plus half of the six months, making them six months unpaid salaries.”

  • Oyo pays two-month salary arrears

    Oyo pays two-month salary arrears

    The Oyo State government has paid two months’ salary arrears for workers in the state public and civil service.
    Commissioner for Information Toye Arulogun announced this yesterday in Ibadan at the Annual Lecture /Award of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ministry of Information Chapel.
    He said the government has been doing a lot of financial re-engineering in order to meet its obligations to the workforce and residents.
    The government spokesman said the government paid June and July 2016 to workers in the spirit of the season and restated the government’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
    Arulogun revealed that the government is constantly seeking ways, means and solutions to offset the outstanding salaries and ensure prompt payment thereafter.
    “We are not comfortable with the situation of things in the state as well and we are already putting machineries in motion to clear the outstanding salaries of the workforce,” he said.

  • Governors, workers, and salary arrears

    It is true that as of today, Nigerian workers, artisans, market women and indeed, majority of Nigerians except politicians in the ranks of president, vice-president, ministers, members of National Assembly, successful business men and women and some privileged ones who have easy access to the public purse are groaning under unusual, unimaginable, excruciating financial condition. Some say it has never been this bad. Some attribute the present bad condition of Nigerian citizens in the land of plenty to wickedness, greed and selfishness on the part of our leaders. As I would say, human beings are basically selfish, which informs the biblical golden rule: “do unto others as you wish them do unto you” or the great German philosopher, Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative: “Act in such a way that you would wish your action to be a universal law of nature”.

    Unfortunately, the above condition of Nigerians is real. People are hungry and angry. Our friends from the US would find it unimaginable under the sun that people would work anywhere for one month without pay, not to talk of 5, 10, or 20 months! How do workers survive in Nigeria? How do they meet their monthly financial obligations on house rent, food, hospital bills, school fees, repayment of loans or bank over drafts which workers obtain every month from the banks to be paid back immediately from monthly salaries? There is the microeconomic issue of thrift societies like esusu where workers must contribute certain amount as compulsory savings every month without fail. This collective arrangement is derailed or aborted if one misses a month’s contribution! Such a profitable saving device among workers is no longer possible, as people no longer receive their salaries every month. The consequence of this for workers is bye-bye to thrift societies.

    Generally speaking, people feel aggrieved and angry that our political leaders never feel the pangs of extreme poverty occasioned by nonpayment of salaries and pensions. Rather, our leaders live in opulence as if they don’t know that Nigerians are suffering as many families cannot afford one decent meal a day. Many have died from hunger and from their inability to pay for needed drugs that are meant to keep them alive. Some had committed suicide out of neglect and frustration while some of our selfish leaders live in outlandish opulence and could even afford to comfortably take their families abroad for medical treatment at exorbitant cost in foreign exchange, and still draw estacodes to the bargain. This is a perfect demonstration that human beings are basically selfish, and there seems to be no cure for this disease, especially in Nigeria.

    However, our top political functionaries from the presidency to the governors and National Assembly members may have a calculated alibi for the current plight of the common man by invoking the self-inflicted economic recession. I know that, as a matter of fact, Nigeria had no problem of payment of workers’ salaries until sometime in 2013 under Jonathan’s administration. Now they have joined the ranks of pensioners who have always been a forgotten section of the society simply because they could not embark on strikes. Right now, the federal pensioners are having a running battle with the government not only for nonpayment of three years arrears of their pensions, but for wicked and illegal deduction of 20% as tax on nontaxable pensions. Perhaps our governments deliberately want the pensioners to die instead of taking proper care of them at old age as governments in civilized countries do for their pensioners seen as respected senior citizens.

    But there is no way we can discuss the present bad situation of workers and pensioners without going back to the memory the lane – Jonathan’s profligate administration. That was why, in one of my writings entitled “Aregbesola: more sinned against than sinning?” (Nation, April 7, p19) I argued, not only on behalf of Governor Aregbesola, but also on behalf of all governors including the President and the Federal Government in the present dispensation. The core of my argument and defence was that, with the monumental corruption and emptying of national treasury by Jonathan’s administration, the problem of nonpayment of salaries which started before the end of his administration was inevitable.

    In fact, I had envisaged this problem by warning the All Progressive Governors in an earlier article entitled “APC Governors beware!” (Nation, March 29, 2014, p21) in the following excerpt: “Since about July last year (i.e. 2013), the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory have been starved of funds through a drastic reduction of 40% of their statutory allocations attributed to shortfall in oil revenue. For instance, the State of Osun which used to receive monthly allocation of between ¦ 4.4 – 4.6bn now gets ¦ 3.2bn, a shortfall of a whopping ¦ 1.2bn per month! Consequent upon this, some states have not been able to meet their obligation to workers in the payment of salaries and pensions as and at when due”. For this strange development, I asked the affected governors all over the country to raise local and international alarms about the coincidence of the alleged 40% cut in monthly statutory allocations, with the time of the Ekiti and Osun States governorship elections in 2014, and presidential and National Assembly elections the following year, 2015. I then wondered about the motive that led the federal government to begin starving the states of funds at that time and why it coincided with the disappearance of $20bn, earned largely from bumper oil revenue which ought to have gone to the states, into thin air! I then posited that the 40% shortfall for all the states was a ruse, as only the APC states would be affected while the PDP states, their governors and National Assembly candidates for the 2015 elections would get hefty money through the back door, at least from the $20bn missing oil money – a gigantic loot which I said would be shared by PDP and governorship candidates, including the pursuit of Jonathan’s presidential ambition. Now, the sharing of part of the loot as exposed from Dasukigate has proved me right. So also are several looted funds allegedly supervised by the then Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Alison-Madueke and many others still under investigation. Fortunately, some of these looted funds from bumper harvest of oil revenue are being recovered.

    The question now is, why should people now groan under an unprecedented economic crunch even after some appreciable loot have been recovered? The loots belong to Nigerians who are citizens of the 36 states of the federation and not the Federal Government which is only a custodian of the nation’s wealth with its own share as prescribed by the constitution. But there can be no Federal Government without the state governments as its essential and irreducible components. If you are told that The Federal Republic of Nigeria is made up of 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory, then the Federal Republic of Nigeria is only an abstract entity, unknown to villagers in their individual states. So when I tell you all the states that constitute The Federal Republic Nigeria and you ask me “where is The Federal Republic of Nigeria?” you are making what philosophers call a category mistake. There is no Federal Government outside the 36 states and the Federal Territory.

    My advice to the Presidency is to realize always, that the state governments constitute the essence, existence and soul of what is known as The Federal Republic of Nigeria. The federation is an organic whole, just like any living organism which, if it fails to take proper care of any of its component parts, is doomed to extinction. The non-functioning of just one organ of the body can lead to the death of a person. The same is true of Nigeria, and any nation, as a federation. The problem in one state can cause a lot of problem for the entire federation, or even its death or disintegration, just as we have witnessed in Borno State, and now witnessing in the Niger Delta.

    I think the federal government should take seriously the problem of nonpayment of salaries with governors, as this affects the nation’s economy badly. Citizens have no money to spend while market women, businessmen and women and petty traders cry loud for lack of patronage. There is also the need to reconsider the issue of TSA whose effect is telling heavily on banks and federal institutions which can no longer service the Nigerian people with money that have been seized by the Federal Government. The entire nation suffers while all its money is stockpiled in one place – an overstuffed central bank.

     

    • Prof. Makinde, FNAL, writes from Awolowo Centre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance, Osogbo.
  • Pay our 14 months’ salary arrears, lepers tell Amosun

    Pay our 14 months’ salary arrears, lepers tell Amosun

    Lepers in Ogun state have asked the state government to pay their 14 months arrears of their N10, 000 monthly stipends.

    The lepers who are inmates the State’s Lepers Colony, Iberekodo, complained that four of their members had died because of hunger while others are suffering from one illness or the other.

    The Coordinator of the State’s Lepers Colony, Iberekodo,  Mr. Jimoh Ahmed  told reporters that the State government had promised  to address their situation four months ago through the Ministry of Health but rued that  till date,  no positive response from them.

    He said though the Colony has a standing order that nobody among them should go outside and beg but due to hunger some of them had to defied the order and beg on the streets to feed themselves.

    Jimoh who had earlier on Friday stormed the Oke – Mosan Governor’s Office along with his colleagues to protest the government’s insensitivity to their plights, alleged that the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa had promised to take action some months back.

    He stated that out of the 67 of them, many do not have money to feed themselves let alone buying medicines for their sundry health challenges.

    “We are here to make a peaceful protest on our unpaid 14 months stipend. We are still sitting and waiting for the government to answer us. Many don’t have money to eat. Many are sick and no money to buy drugs.”

    “Some of us are aged and have no power to do anything.  We only depend on the stipend,” Jimoh said.

  • Ekiti workers begin strike over unpaid salaries

    Ekiti workers begin strike over unpaid salaries

    •Labour issues 48-hour ultimatum 

    There is tension in the Ekiti State civil service over the five month salary arrears owed workers.

    The workers are also aggrieved over government’s failure to pay last December deductions.

    The state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) have issued another 48-hour ultimatum to the government to pay the December deductions or face an industrial action.

    Labour had last Tuesday issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to pay deductions or face a strike but this was overshadowed by the national strike called by NLC, which began last Wednesday.

    The workers are angry with the labour leaders for giving preference to agitation for deductions rather than the salary arrears.

    The December 2015 salary was paid to workers in March but only the net was paid without  deductions to cooperatives, check off dues to unions, among other miscellaneous payment totaling N512 million.

    The state TUC boss, Odunayo Adesoye, told reporters that labour leaders are meeting at press time to discuss what would be the next line of action, consequent upon another 48 hours ultimatum issued to the governor to comply with the early demand.

    Some workers, who pleaded for anonymity, slammed labour leaders for “taking it easy” with the government when many of them had turned to “beggars”.

    But a worker, who identified himself as Ojo Ajewole, said: “The labour leaders are no longer representing our interest but only fighting for their own benefit.

    “How can they be requesting for the payment of only deduction in December salary when five months salaries have not been paid. This is unheard of. They are advocating for the payment of deductions, so that check off dues to unions can be paid for their own enjoyment,” he alleged.

    Adesoye described the allegation as unfounded, saying only N12 million of the aggregate of the deductions will go to trade unions and their affiliates.

    He said: “What we are advocating for is the payment of the deductions, so that cooperative societies will be viable enough to lend money to workers to confront the present hardship.

     

    “We were at the meeting for the sharing of the last state allocation, where we agreed that subventions to the State University, College of Education and College of Science and Technology, Ijero-Ekiti  should be paid, while the next allocation will be for the payment of other workers.

    “We were in that meeting, we participated, we knew the financial position of the state and it was difficult for us to turn around and fight the government on why salaries are not paid.

    “The main reason why we issued ultimatum to government on deduction was that, we agreed at the meeting that all deductions on December salary be paid and on that we stand.”

     

  • Salary arrears: Ekiti civil servants abandon offices

    Salary arrears: Ekiti civil servants abandon offices

    More government workers are staying away from work in Ekiti State over unpaid salary arrears and biting fuel scarcity.

    A visit to some government offices yesterday revealed that many civil servants did not show up for work as many of them had not collected their salaries.

    Core civil servants, teachers in public schools and local government workers are owed about four month arrears of salary

    At the state secretariat, House of Assembly complex, new and old Governor’s Office, the judiciary complex, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Local Government Service Commission, many workers were not on seat.

    Some offices were shut which showed that both senior officials and their subordinates did not report for work.

    Their plight was further compounded by the acute fuel scarcity which has paralysed social, economic and commercial activities.

    This explained why there were few vehicles at the parking lots of the government offices and schools in Ado-Ekiti.

    A visit to schools in the state capital and nearby Ikere-Ekiti revealed that many teachers stayed away from work.

    A worker, who pleaded for anonymity, said life has become very hard for them. “We are not happy that the government is embarking on a N5.7 billion flyover project at a time their salaries are not paid.

    “Workers are not happy with the non-payment of our salaries and nobody should blame us for not going to work in recent times.

    “Our plight has been worsened by the petrol scarcity. What angers many of us is the latest flyover project embarked upon by the government. This project will cost N5.7 billion and the same government is making excuses on why we can’t be paid.

    “That shows that a white elephant project is more important to the government that our welfare.”

  • Fed Govt votes N47.5b for promotion, salary arrears

    Fed Govt votes N47.5b for promotion, salary arrears

    Contractors are  to get some relief in the new year, with the Federal Government voting N5.5 billion for their payment. They are being owed a fortune.

     Workers too are expected to smile. About N47.5billion is allocated to arrears of promotion and salary increase in the budget.

    But the National Assembly has its fund slashed.

    According to a summary of the 2016 budgetary allocations to MDAs released yesterday by the Budget Office of the Federation, the National Assembly had a cut in its 2016 allocation from N120 billion in 2015 to N115 billion in 2016.

    Others that will draw from the N351,370,000,000 statutory transfer envelope of the 2016 budget are: National Judicial Council: N70,000,000,000; Niger Delta Development Commission, N41,050,000,000; Universal Basic Education  N77,110,000,000; Public Complaints Commission, N2,000,000,000; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC): N45,000,000,000 and National Human Rights Commission, N1,210,000,000.

    The Presidency will spend N 39,124,978,811 for both capital and recurrent expenditures. The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is to spend N90,350,068,052 on capital and recurrent expenses.

    An official of the Budget Office told The Nation that the office was waiting for the final 2016 Appropriation Bill to be passed and signed before making public the details of the budget.

    Other items contained in the summary of the 2016 appropriation submitted to the National Assembly on Tuesday by President Muhammadu Buhari include: Federal Initiative for Northeast (Pilot Counterpart Funding Contribution): N12,000,000,000; payment of local contractors’ debts: N5,500,000,000; Galaxy Backbone: N3,000,000,000; refunds to states for federal roads projects: N5,005,000,000; financing of the implementation of the Nigeria’s nuclear power programme (The Seed Money): N2,000,000,000 and matching grant for the “Safe School Inititiative” programme: N1,600,000,000.

    For Service Wide Vote usually domiciled in the Ministry of Finance until captured MDAs request for the release of the funds, training of budget/planning officers on GIFMIS Budget Preparation System (BPS) as well as monitoring and evaluation of all projects nationwide will draw N1,000,000,000 in 2016; Operation Lafiya Dole for combating Boko Haram has been allocated N10,000,000,000; IPPIS capturing: N5,000,000,000; special intervention (recurrent): N300,000,000,000.

    Under the Presidential Amnesty Programme,  N20,000,000,000 has been earmarked for 2016;  Stipends and Allowances oF 30,000 Niger Delta ex-militants expected to take N7,875,000,000;  operational cost: N1,834,149,261 and Presidential Amnesty Programme: reintegration of transformed ex-militants: N10,290,850,739.

    The National Job Creation Scheme/Graduate Intership Scheme programme is estimated to cost N4,000,000,000; and Quick Wins – Completion of 2008 & 2009 projects: N527,259,306.

    Other components of the Service Wide Vote include: NELMCO (outstanding liabilities) N3,000,000,000; bulk trader N3,432,000,000; sinking fund for infrastructural development N20,000,000,000; special initiative for women participation in agriculture, water, sport, communication technology/partnership with states and local govt. women development centres N1,500,000,000 and GIFMIS capital: N1,000,000,000.

    Others are 2011 election violence and civil disturbances (damage done to public properties and places of worships) N2,500,000,000; sports development N2,000,000,000; special intervention MDG’s (verification of assets and liabilities) N1,468,267,215; transition to sustainable development goals: N1,109,037,225; provision for sdg programmes N5,378,044,922; SDG monitoring and evaluation N1,581,777,918; consultancy, survey and short term studies N474,533,376; communication and advocacy (SDG) N427,080,038; federal ministry of finance: special programme for improving efficiency N500,000,000; capital exigencies N12,500,000,000; capital development of National Institute for Legislative Studies N2,000,000,000; National Assembly clinic N1,000,000,000; Ministry of Budget and National Planning (infrastructure master plan) N500,000,000; Nigeria Mortgage Refinancing Company (NMRC) N2,000,000,000; Head of Service (Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board) N1,000,000,000; special intervention/constituency projects N60,000,000,000; payment of outstanding death benefit to civil servants N500,000,000; payment into the redemption fund (5% of total personnel cost) including arrears of 2014 and 2015 N50,195,808,918; arrears of police death benefits (2004 – 2010) N3,750,000,000; group life insurance for all MDAs including DSS N14,690,036,516; Armed Forces Enhanced Retirement Benefits of Commodores and above etc. N1,000,000,000; severance benefits of the Delta Steel Company/Pension pay-off N2,795,000,000; NHIS (Military Retirees) N2,544,110,811; administration and monitoring of (OHCSF) Group Life N36,000,000; pension verification and administration N200,000,000; entitlements of former presidents/heads of state and vice-presidents/chiefs of general staff N2,300,000,000; public service reforms (including payment of severance benefits of civil servants) N1,500,000,000.

    Other service-wide votes that will cost N465,060,000,000 include: improved remuneration package for the Nigerian Police, including 2014 and 2015 shortfalls N10,255,000,000; 35th annual general meeting and symposium of shelter- Afrique in Nigeria in June, next N400,000,000; public service wage adjustment for MDAs (including arrears of promotion and salary increases) N47,597,400,000; outstanding payments to health professionals: N5,000,000,000; operations – internal for the Armed Forces N15,000,000,000; contribution to international organisations including WAEC International N6, 000,000,000; payment of country contributions to PAN – AFRICAN WRITERS ASSOCIATION (PAWA) N208,000,000; assessed contribution to African union and others N3,500,000,000 and external financial obligations N8,500,000,000.

  • Ogun, striking lecturers differ over salary arrears, poor funding of varsity

    Ogun State government and the striking lecturers of the Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU) yesterday differed over the controversial  underfunding of the institution and salary arrears owed them.

    The aggrieved lecturers OOU had on Wednesday embarked on “indefinite, total and comprehensive” strike action over an alleged worsening under funding of the university  and unpaid 16- month salary and subventions by the state government.

    Agboola said the lecturers’ demands are clear and include reversal of the precarious funding situation at OOU and taking over of the payment of full salary of staff to free the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by the university for academic and infrastructural development.

    The ASUU chairman also said the lecturers want quick arrest of the imminent dangers of quality decline at OOU  by instituting reliable funding structure,  release of  fund for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances(EAA) in line with what obtained  in federal and other state universities as well as payment of entitlements for colleagues that were sacked unjustly.

    But yesterday, the state government through the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Modupe Mujota,  said the government does not owe the academic staff salaries for 16 months.

    In a statement on Friday, Majota stated that the recent recognition of OOU by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the best state university in Nigeria punctured the notion that the state government had not done enough to revamp the institution.

    “The government  had always met its contractual obligations to the staff of the institution but would not be railroaded into executing a contract it did not enter into with the academic union.

    “We state categorically that we do not owe the teachers as alleged. They should provide any evidence of the contractual obligation the state government has breached with regard to their salaries and allowances,” Mujota said.