…as Governor Sule approves additional N1bn to settle gratuities
By Johnson Umishi
Local government areas in Nasarawa State have commenced the payment of salaries to workers after Governor Abdullahi Sule gave the nod for the councils to use their accrued savings to offset February salaries.
Governor Sule made this known while presiding over the first state executive council meeting with his new commissioners which held at the Government House on Thursday.
According to the Governor, while local government areas in the country are unable to pat workers salary in February as a result of ongoing reforms initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), his initial advice for local government chairmen to initiate savings from their monthly subvention is finally paying off as the councils are now falling back on their savings to pay salaries.
He said the state can not afford to wait while the CBN finalizes on its strategy to remit funds directly to the councils, especially that Christians and Muslims are both observing the lent and Ramadan fasting respectively.
“I want to sincerely apologize to our local government workers in the state. We can not continue to hold on. We discussed this morning and I am sure by the end of today some of them would begin to see their salaries. Not because we have received the money but because of the savings the local government made. When we kept telling the local government that it was necessary to have the savings, a lot of people didn’t understand me. Now it is the saving grace and they are the happiest people today. They are going to use their savings to pay salaries,” he stated.
The Governor particularly expressed satisfaction thar the councils are not only paying the February salaries but also implementing the new N70,000 minimum wage.
“The most beautiful aspect of it is that they are not just paying the salaries, they are now paying the new minimum wage also this month. The local government has not been able to implement the N70, 000 minimum wage because of the resources they were receiving. But since they are using their savings, they are paying the new minimum wage,” he said.
He however spoke on the need to resolve the impasse especially that there are critical workers under the local government system such as teachers and primary healthcare workers, amongst others.
“It looks like it is going to be a long haul because, according to the local government chairmen and the ministry, when they approach the CBN in Lafia to open accounts, CBN would say they are yet to receive directives from their headquarters to allow them open the accounts. But Abuja would say they are still waiting for the accounts.
“There is something that is missing somewhere and we are working on it to make sure that whatever that is the problem is resolved. But while that is going on, it is very important for the local government to use their own savings to pay their staff,” he said.
Updating the executive council on the state further, Governor Sule announced that the state government is in receipt of certain amount of money and requested for the approval of the council to remove one billion naira as usual for the payment of outstanding gratuities of retired workers from the state.
He also addressed the recent unrest in Farin Dutse, Nasarawa LGA, where clashes between Gbagyi and Fulani communities led to killing of some persons.
He condoled with the families who lost their loved ones during the crisis, commending the local government chairman, as well as the security agencies for swiftly restoring calm in the area.
The Governor disclosed that already, those found to have instigated the crisis have been arrested, warning that anyone found wanting would face the full wrath of the law.
He further warned of spillover risks from Plateau State’s crackdown on illegal mining, directing security agencies to fortify borders and curb illicit activities as these illegal miners scamper across the North Central region.
The Governor spoke about the strategic cabinet reshuffle which saw Hon Umar Tanko Tunga formerly the Commissioner for Lands moved over to the Ministry of Agriculture, while the Commissioner for Special Duties Legal, is now the new Commissioner for Lands.
“We try to find these synergies to put together to ensure that everything works in that order. The Special Adviser on Agriculture is now properly empowered to oversee the Jangwa Rice Farm. Currently, we are clearing about 3000 hectares of land on the upper side of the farm,” he added.
While also announcing the receipt of the N3bn UBEC counterpart fund, the Governor decried contract racketeering, which he said is responsible for substandard work in public schools.
“We are going to discuss it in more details but what I am trying to do is maybe we change the mode that we are awarding this contract. In the past we have given this contract to several individuals contractors and it look like they would not do the job, they would sell to another contractor who would also sell to another contractor. By the time it gets to the last contractor, all the profits have already been removed and we are not getting the quality work.
“I am becoming very concerned about it. It is one of the items that we should discuss today in order to agree on what needs to done. I don’t care if the whole project is giving to one big, competent contractor, or maybe two or three competent contractors let them go and fix our schools. We can discuss it and agree,” he stated.
He used the opportunity of the meeting to clear the air regarding the cost involved in remodeling the Nasarawa State Government printing press, which he said was valued at N202bn.
Governor Sule explained that even though the contract was originally awarded for N178m, the exchange rate made it necessary to renegotiate the contract, particularly that two of the installed equipment were purchased after the dollar rose beyond a thousand naira, requiring additional N24m.
