The inability of the third tier of government in Nasarawa state to settle workers salary as taken a different dimension, Apart from the delay in the payment of monthly salary, Local Government staff in some selected councils in the state are paid half salary in spite of the colossal amount of money accrued to Local Governments.
Hon.Suleiman Wambai, The chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has acknowledged the inability of some Local Government to settled monthly staff salaries to the fall in oil prices in the international market
Wambai who is the chairman of Lafia Local Government averred that some selected councils are yet to settle last month staff salary, Adding that fragment of workers are yet to get their December salary.
“5% of our staff in Lafia, Doma and Akwanga are still owned December salary, I’m speaking on a capacity as the ALGON chairman, Like my own case in Lafia i’m scavenging to make sure i paid settle the remaining N2m from December salary and the downscaling of federal grant to states and Local Government.
The chairman maintained that he received whooping N52m cash as grant from SURE-P recently; He disclosed that the money was prudently used for the purpose it was meant for.
Some of the projects he listed include the construction of three clinic, Other projects include the construction of bore holes and payment of pension to Local Government retirees, He stated that apart from the SURE-P fund he got money to the tune of N280m as December grant.
“From the N280m we spent about N140m on Teachers salary,N34m monthly as workers salary while N14m goes to pension of retired Local Government staff “Stated the executive chairman of Lafia Local Government while unveiling some of the preponderances of the third tier of government.
He faulted the PDP at the federal level for the woos non-PDP states and their Local Government, According to him, “sometimes,universalreporters247.com when contacted the executive chairman of Doma Local Government, one of the most heated council which was grappling with grim situation to settle workers salary,Hon.Henry Omaku promised to call back in the next one hour for clarification.
“give me some hours to contact ALGON chairman and my director before getting back to you, A call that was not made by the chairman even as at press time, But insiders from the council who pleaded anonymity maintained that a whooping N58m was granted for Doma Local Government ,The gory situation according to a top functionary at the council was the unabated strike embark by staff of Department of health and Agric,He identified the crisis surrounding the two month strike to the inability of the council to paid salary of some health and Agric staff.
In Nasarawa Eggon, All effort to speak to the council chairman claimed abortive as the council boss switch –off his phone, But reliably information revealed that the council is yet to settled five months staff salary, This compelled the Local Government legislative council before the state House of Assembly alongside his Doma counterpart.
It could be recalled that the state commissioner for Local Government and chieftaincy Affairs, Hon.Muhammed Dan’Azumi assured the Assembly that the missing SURE-P fund,Few months after his appearance
