We Expended The N4.3bn L.G Bailout Fund Judiciously, Al-Makura’s Cabinet Member Replies State Organized Labour
Rabiu Omaku
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Aliyu Tijjani has refuted the content of the recent document released by the organized labour asking the ministry of the whereabouts of the remaining balance of the N4.3bn local government bailout fund.
Tijjani gave the hint while reacting over the bulletin released recently which alleged the diversion of balance of the bailout as baseless information; the commissioner asserted that N4.4bn went into two months salaries.
“Local government monthly wage bill stands at N2.2bn and we used the bailout to settle two and half months totaling N5.6bn which superseded the N4.3bn bailout fund, the big question was nobody asked us where we got the remaining balance of the N1.2bn to clear two and half month salaries and arrears.
“Our bailout is N4.3bn while monthly wage bill stand at N2.2 while we are to pay two and half months, and augment N1.2bn which was allocation for August and half salary of July”
Tijjani described the revelation as a mere fallacy by the organized labour, saying the Nigeria Labour Congress and the ministry for local government has signed an undertaking, adding that he is still the chairman of his local government.
The commissioner confided that the ongoing screening of files of local government workers would come up with fruitful results as he admitted that some civil servants were given appointment letters on 1st October which was a public holiday.
Commenting on the lingering hiccups surrounding the “NO WORK, NO PAY” of the state government, Hon. Tijjani affirmed the NUT in the state rejected the offer of percentage payment.
“And if they want to collect their salaries which are not yet one hundred percent they must put it in written “he emphasized.
When asked about the precise workers strength at the local government level, Hon.Aliyu Tijjani asserted that the workforce stand at thirteen thousand (13,000) .
Adding that 1.2bn was augmented to clear salary arrears of June and August which he averred that the amount was accumulated to a whooping N5.6bn which he opined that the N5.6bn supersedes the N4.3bn local government bailout fund.
Speaking over the authentic number of workforce at the third tier of government, the commissioner averred that no fewer than 13,000 workers are under the service of the local government in the state as he gave the assurance that the ongoing screening of workers files is expected to bring an end to the presence of ghost workers causing havoc to the local government system in the state.
Lack of accuracy of number of workers at the third tier of government has continued to generate tension as the ministry unveiled that the monthly wage bill stand at N2.2bn monthly with number deaths and retired civil servants been recorded.
The state governor, it would be recalled has carpeted the local government as a collapsed organ of government in the state, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura stated this during a media chat at the state owned broadcast outfit, the Nasarawa Broadcasting Service, Lafia marching the fifth year anniversary of his stewardship as the governor of the state.
“only goats and rams exist at our secretariat while majority of the civil servants are either absent at their duty post or are in Gwagwalada ,Abuja waiting to receive their monthly alert, “he lamented.
