May 29 marked a new beginning for Nigeria as President Muhammadu Buhari took over the mantle of leadership from former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
However, with the economy of the country grounded, it is very much imminent to see President Buhari face the challenges of unpaid salaries just like the oil marketers strike that led to the devastating fuel scarcity.
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But just as it is at federal level, the challenges of unpaid salaries have also spread it tentacles to the state level as many of the new governors will have to prepare for the task of huge debts and monthly wage bills.
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| New governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong (APC). |
In this regard, an investigation by Daily Trust has revealed that many states have continued to struggle to pay salaries as a result of the dwindle revenue of the federation account.
The 3 months investigation has shown that 7 states are largely affected by this grounded economy as huge wage crisis and debts await these newly sworn in governors.
* Plateau (Governor Simon Lalong)
Plateau is by far the most affected state in terms of unpaid salaries. According to the investigation, 6,000 workers are owed 6 months’ salary arrears
The Plateau State Government has 16,000 workers on its payroll, to whom the government is committed N1.7 billion monthly wage.
The state civil service’s staff strength was roughly 21,000 until the early part of 2013 when a biometric data capture exercise unearthed 5,000 ghost workers, purging the bloated workforce of the nonexistent workers.
Salary payment for the workers has not been coming for six months now, and the workers, coordinated by their mother union, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), are out on an industrial action now, refusing to do any work until the piled-up salary arrears are cleared.
The Plateau State workers began their strike earlier this month, Tuesday May 5, following an unheeded 7-day ultimatum on the state government to settle not only six months of unpaid salaries but to also address other issues over which the workers, acting always through the NLC, had been battling the state government for years.
* Abia (Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu)
In Abia State, some workers have continued to express disgust over the unpaid wages and appealed to the state government to clear all the outstanding debts. This is a problem which new governor Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu will have to deal with.
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| Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, new governor of Abia state.
* Oyo (Governor Abiola Ajimobi)
Investigations carried out shows that the 40,000 workers on the payroll of Oyo State Government are currently being owed their March and April 2015 salaries.
In the same vein, pensioners in the state are groaning in silence over the non-payment of their entitlements which have also spanned two months.
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| Governor Abiola Ajimobi Oyo State
But the state government has anchored its inability to pay on the reduced fiscal allocation from the federation account, claiming that while the wage bill in January, for instance, was about N5.3billion, federal allocation was about N2.3billion.
* Kwara (Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed)
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| Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state |
Kwara has consistently grumbled over the dwindling federal allocation which has shrunk its capacity to carry out its programmes. The state government revealed that its allocation has dropped drastically from N3.2bn in 2011 to about N2.3bn.
Out of over N3.1bn hitherto being received by the government before the allocation began to dip, payment of workers’ salaries and other monthly commitments stood at about N2.8bn.
However, while the monthly commitments, especially the payment of salaries of the state’s 13, 000 civil servants remain N2.8bn, the federal allocation coming to the state was said to have declined below the amount expended in payment of salaries.
* Kogi (Governor Idris Wada)
In Kogi State, the strength of the staff is put at 22,000, while the monthly wage bill stands at N3.2 billion. The staff strength in local government areas is put at 26,542, while the monthly wage bill of workers as at March stands at N1.5 billion. The 33,000 teachers receive N1.3 billion wage. Investigations show that the workers were yet to receive April salaries as at May 12, 2015.
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| Governor Idris Wada of Kogi state
* Benue (Governor Samuel Ortom)
The Benue State government is undoubtedly facing a major challenge of unpaid salaries of civil servants. The new government will grapple with a huge debt profile left behind by the Gabriel Suswam administration.
It was gathered that the primary school teachers are being owed at least five months salaries estimated at between N8bn and N10bn. About 20,000 workers who had been collecting irregular salary for over eight months are also being owed three or four months’ arrears.
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| Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state |
The current salary bill of the state stands at N34.8 billion per anum, following a N2.9 billion wage bill at the end of each month.
Former governor Suswam had once decried the payment of N1.85 billion on monthly basis to 29,300 personnel as salaries by the 23 local government councils in Benue State.
* Osun (Governor Rauf Aregbesola)
In Osun State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been finding it difficult to pay the salaries of workers in recent months. The Director of Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the governor’s office, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, attributed the non-payment of salaries to the federal government’s non-remittance of statutory allocations to the state government.
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| Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state |
Meanwhile, shortly after Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state was sworn-in at the Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos on May 29, 2015, Friday, urged the striking workers in the state to reconsider their action and return back to work. He called on everyone to join hands with his government. The new governor promised prompt payment of salary arrears, training and retraining for the staff.
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