We Don’t Have Actual Number Of Local Government Workforce—Commissioner Tells Nasarawa Assembly

0 81

Rabiu Omaku

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has decried the unchanged N2.2billion monthly wage bill of Local Government staff salaries despite retirements and deaths of local Government since 2011 to date, Saidu Galadima, the chairman, House committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs made their feeling known when the management of the ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs appeared before the committee to defend its 2016 budget.

Galadima (APC-Toto/Gadabuke) said that despite constant biometric screening of the local government staff in the state, the salaries of the local government staff remain the same since 2011.“He described the situation as unfortunate, there is the need for all of us to sit down and do the right thing at the right time so that Local Government system in the state will be strengthened for our benefit.

“With the constant screening of the local government staff by the ministry in the state, it is difficult to ascertain the actual number of staff strength in each of the local government council in the state, He added that despite due and voluntary retirements, death of some staff in the Local Government council since 2011 to date, the monthly salary across the state still remain N2.2bn,why,”he said.

He has also said that there is the need to strengthen the directorate unit of the local government in order to ensure effective supervision of local government staff across the staff in order to checkmate ineptitude, lateness to duties among staff so as to boost productivity.

The chairman reinstated the committee determination to checkmate all illegality in the local government system, adding that there is no going to be business as the Assembly would continue to embark on its oversight functions.

Earlier, the state commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Tijjani Ahmed said that the ministry has achieved 100 percent budget performance in payment of staff salaries for the 2015 budget.

Tijjani, who was represented by the ministry Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Dauda Sabo seek for the cooperation of the assembly to achieve 100 percent in both the recurrent and capital expenditure in 2016 budget.

“As for today, I cannot actually tell you the actual number of local government staff because of retirements and deaths in various local governments, but the local government staff strength can be known if I requested such from the chairmen of the third tier of Government, “He said.

He told the committee that the ministry has budgeted N74M for capital expenditure, N50.8M as recurrent expenditure, N48M for salaries and wages and N2.9M for overhead and maintenance among others for the 2016 budget.

Leave a Reply